Wicket Fence, The

As one of the “Mighty Five” group of Russian nationalist composers, Rimsky-Korsakov was an avid student and collector of Russian folk songs. “The Wicket Fence” is a springtime village ritual dance (horovod), also known as an “ornamental line-dance” (ornamental’nïy horovod). In this dance, the line of dancers, following the somewhat non-sensical text of the song, weaves through itself, winding into a tight circle and then unwinding back into a line. Besides being an effective multi-cultural program closer for a choir of any level, this piece, like Rimsky-Korsakov’s “With a Wreath I Stroll,” makes a great addition to the literature for the young and developing chorus.