Strings in the earth and air |
,for SATB choir, a cappella
Duration: ~2'
World Premiere: July 27, 2016 by the EAMA Chorale; Mark Shapiro, director, La Schola Cantorum, Paris, France
US Premiere: May 13, 2017 by the International Orange Chorale; Zane Fiala, director; 3rd place winner of IOC's 2016 Freshly Squeezed Composer Competition
Program Note:
This piece was written in 2016 during my first and only summer at the European American Musical Alliance (EAMA) in Paris. As with everything I was writing at the time, I sought to fuse two of my musical passions – choral music and jazz. What resulted was a relatively short piece with a lot of ambitious harmonies and rhythmic gestures.
Upon reading this poem, it may be confusing what James Joyce was trying to say about “Love.” Given its first line and many musical references, one might think it’s about a celebration of music. Dig deeper, and you find that Joyce personifies love as a contemplative and somewhat dark fellow, hence referred to as “Love.”
Duration: ~2'
World Premiere: July 27, 2016 by the EAMA Chorale; Mark Shapiro, director, La Schola Cantorum, Paris, France
US Premiere: May 13, 2017 by the International Orange Chorale; Zane Fiala, director; 3rd place winner of IOC's 2016 Freshly Squeezed Composer Competition
Program Note:
This piece was written in 2016 during my first and only summer at the European American Musical Alliance (EAMA) in Paris. As with everything I was writing at the time, I sought to fuse two of my musical passions – choral music and jazz. What resulted was a relatively short piece with a lot of ambitious harmonies and rhythmic gestures.
Upon reading this poem, it may be confusing what James Joyce was trying to say about “Love.” Given its first line and many musical references, one might think it’s about a celebration of music. Dig deeper, and you find that Joyce personifies love as a contemplative and somewhat dark fellow, hence referred to as “Love.”
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Text:
Strings in the earth and air from “Chamber Music” I. Strings in the earth and air Make music sweet; Strings by the river where The willows meet. There's music along the river For Love wanders there, Pale flowers on his mantle, Dark leaves on his hair. All softly playing, With head to the music bent, And fingers straying Upon an instrument. -James Joyce (1907) |
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