Program Note
This is a song cycle consisting of five poems by American poet James Wright, selected by the composer for their shared imagery (of owls, trees, snow, etc.) and because together they formed for her a coherent and compelling emotional narrative. I wrote the songs for my friend Patrick Mason who premiered them.
The Poems
A Breath of Air
The Trouble with You
Neruda
To the Saguaro Cactus Tree in the Desert Rain
To a Troubled Friend
Performances
World Premiere: Patrick Mason, baritone; Alexandra Nguyen, piano, Grusin Hall, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, September 21, 2010.
Andrew White, baritone; Eric Charnofsky, piano, West Park United Church of Christ, Cleveland, Ohio, April 3, 2011.
Andrew White, baritone; Valerie Cisler, piano, New Music Festival, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Nebraska, February 7, 2012, and again in recital at University of Nebraska-Kearney, Nebraska, March 12, 2012.
Reviews
Andrew White described the work as “one of the finest contemporary cycles I have sung.”
Discography
Andrew White, Baritone; Eric Charnofsky, piano