Vocal Works

The cycle, Songs of the Cotton Grass, evolved over six years with all texts by Welsh poet Menna Elfyn. These “reverse lullabies” -- in which a daughter lulls her mother to sleep -- recall the open, high moorland of South Wales, near the composer’s home. The first song, A Girl’s Song to Her Mother was written for mezzo-soprano Mari Morgan and premiered July 30, 1999 during a Celtic Weekend at the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg. The second song, Wings of the Grasses was composed for "A Garland for Presteigne” and received its first performance August 25, 2003 by soprano Gillian Keith with Simon Lepper, piano. In 2004 the “Girl’s Song” was slightly revised for soprano Janeanne Houston who recorded the two completed songs (on So Much Beauty, Elmgrove productions) and subsequently commissioned and recorded a third song, Vale of Feathers (on The Shining Place, Elmgrove Productions). – HT

A version for soprano and viola is performed here by Elizabeth Donovan, soprano; Matthew Jones, viola. (Audio excerpt is the beginning.)

The four poems which comprise the Arachne cycle were commissioned for the occasion by Hilary Tann from Guggenheim Award-winning poet, Jordan Smith.

The backdrop for Arachne is the myth as developed in Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”, Book VI, lines 0-145. The Latin quotation which separates the third and fourth songs is an adaptation of the last line of Ovid’s account. – HT

Arachne was commissioned from Hilary Tann in 1987 by Concerted Effort for singer/performer Julie Kabat, with funds provided in part by the New York State Council on the Arts.

Between Sunsets was commissioned by the Strempel-Beaudette Duo for inclusion in an all-Cummings CD and was premiered at the 2012 Eastman School of Music Women in Music Festival in Rochester NY, March 29. Three poems by E. E. Cummings are set in a continuous cycle and the outer songs use some of the same musical material. The texts echo each other in mentioning sunsets, stars, and skies and are also united by greater senses of love. – HT

This short ensemble piece is a moving setting of a poem by R.S.Thomas depicting a son begging his mother to let him go and experience life in its fullness.
The sensitively written accompaniment is suitable for either clarinet with viola and cello, or for string trio.

The cycle, Songs of the Cotton Grass, evolved over six years with all texts by Welsh poet Menna Elfyn. These “reverse lullabies” -- in which a daughter lulls her mother to sleep -- recall the open, high moorland of South Wales, near the composer’s home. The first song, A Girl’s Song to Her Mother was written for mezzo-soprano Mari Morgan and premiered July 30, 1999 during a Celtic Weekend at the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg. The second song, Wings of the Grasses was composed for "A Garland for Presteigne” and received its first performance August 25, 2003 by soprano Gillian Keith with Simon Lepper, piano. In 2004 the “Girl’s Song” was slightly revised for soprano Janeanne Houston who recorded the two completed songs (on So Much Beauty, Elmgrove productions) and subsequently commissioned and recorded a third song, Vale of Feathers (on The Shining Place, Elmgrove Productions). Vale of Feathers opens with a slow, tolling figure inspired in part by the then-recent passing of Pope John Paul II in April 2005; the refrain “take me to the vale of feathers” echoes back to the first song of the cycle. – HT

(Audio excerpt is from an soprano/oboe version of The Vale of Feathers performed by Janeanne Houston, soprano; and Shannon Spicatti, oboe.)

Text by composer. Lyrical/challenging.

The cycle, Songs of the Cotton Grass, evolved over six years with all texts by Welsh poet Menna Elfyn. These “reverse lullabies” -- in which a daughter lulls her mother to sleep -- recall the open, high moorland of South Wales, near the composer’s home. The first song, A Girl’s Song to Her Mother was written for mezzo-soprano Mari Morgan and premiered July 30, 1999 during a Celtic Weekend at the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg. The second song, Wings of the Grasses was composed for "A Garland for Presteigne” and received its first performance August 25, 2003 by soprano Gillian Keith with Simon Lepper, piano. In 2004 the “Girl’s Song” was slightly revised for soprano Janeanne Houston who recorded the two completed songs (on So Much Beauty, Elmgrove productions) and subsequently commissioned and recorded a third song, Vale of Feathers (on The Shining Place, Elmgrove Productions). – HT

A version for soprano and viola is performed here by Elizabeth Donovan, soprano; Matthew Jones, viola. (Audio excerpt is the beginning.)