I Will Live (SSAATTBB) by Mickey McGroarty

While spending time with the famous text attributed to Ruth (Ruth 1:16-17), I became fixated on the line "Where you die, I'll die, and there I will be buried." What did Ruth mean? Did she mean that without Naomi, she would pass away, and they would be together in death? Did she intend to take her own life for the sake of her mother in law? Of course not. I came to realize that Ruth was not promising to die of heartbreak - she was promising to keep her word even when she was no longer being supervised. She would die and be buried in the same location as Naomi because she would never abandon their place and people. Naomi's people would continue to be Ruth's people for the rest of her days, and she would die looking after them in the same place Naomi had, presumably many years later. Ruth was not promising to die for Naomi - she was promising to live for her. My setting follows the course of this realization - from the words "I will die" to "I will live." My original intention to set this text was at the behest of Dr. Marie Bucoy-Calavan, my graduate professor and close friend. The story means a lot to her because her family has followed her all over the country for her career - from California to Ohio and now to Washington D.C. - much like Ruth devotedly followed her mother in law. For this reason, I've dedicated the piece to her and her family. Special thanks to Sabrina Wolf (SSAA) and Matthew Britton (BB) for lending their voices to this demo.