A Teasdale Triptych is a set of three miniatures. Each aims to crystallize the meaning of Sara Teasdale’s exquisite words and trace the journey on which the poems take the reader. The piece was commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Artists. It is dedicated to the singers of the group, and to their director, Magen Solomon. […]
The Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York has a “Poetry in Motion” series that puts posters of poetry in subway cars. I was on the 1 train on Manhattan’s West Side one day when I saw the poem “Heaven,” by Patrick Phillips. I was immediately captured by the simple beauty of Patrick’s poem, and the […]
“Shenandoah” is a new, rich arrangement for women’s voices. The piano accompaniment is optional but does provide support and some additional harmonies. Your women’s choir or trio will find “Shenandoah” to be well worth the effort. This piece is an excellent concert choice and would also be very appropriate for contests, festivals, and literary events.
Choral elegy in memory of friend and fellow musician Haskell Fitz-Simons. The text speaks of lost opportunities to tell those in our lives how dear they are to us while they are still here.
A popular song in Victorian times, In the Gloaming was written by English composer Annie Fortescue Harrison (1851-1944), with words by Scottish poet and author Meta Orred (1844-1925) which were first published in her 1877 book entitled Poems. With layered dynamics, a rich, chr omatic palette, and a poignant, expressive tempo, this a cappella choral setting […]
This setting of a poem by Linda Marcus is entirely pentatonic (i.e. uses only 5 notes – C, D, F, G and A) apart from the very last measure. The pentatonic setting is intended to create a naive effect, recalling childhood. (The very opening is based on a universal 3-note ‘song of childhood’.) The points […]
As winner of the Organization of American Kodály Educators’ (OAKE) 2020 Ruth Boshkoff Composition Prize, I composed Redbirds in August/September of 2020 for a premiere at OAKE’s 2022 national conference, conducted by Ruth Dwyer. With the mission of OAKE and children’s choirs in general in mind, I wanted to choose a text for this piece that […]
