Music, When Soft Voices Die

Hommage à Langlais: Song of Peace in a Time of War

This engaging work by Mary Beth Bennett was commissioned by the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists to celebrate its 50th anniversary. A soft misterioso section, reminiscent of Jean Langlais' "Song of Peace," begins the work, followed by a section of loud musical cries of anguish. An introspective central section of free melody in a Middle-Eastern mode ensues, and the work concludes with the hymn tune VICTORY ("The Strife is O'er") superimposed over it. Duration: 5:00

Love Me

Stephen Chatman’s setting of Sara Teasdale’s whimsical poem pertaining to a brown-thrush, April, love and kisses, emulates the meaning, strict rhythm, rhyme and strophic structure of the text. The soft rolled chords of the harp-like piano accompaniment highlight the lilting 6/8-meter, folk-like melody, and consistent homophonic choral texture. The repetitive lines, “Love me, love me, love me!”, and “kiss me, kiss me, kiss me!”, inspire the musical refrains. One of a set of six of Teasdale's love songs. Duration: 1:45

Love Me

Stephen Chatman’s setting of Sara Teasdale’s whimsical poem pertaining to a brown-thrush, April, love and kisses, emulates the meaning, strict rhythm, rhyme and strophic structure of the text. The soft rolled chords of the harp-like piano accompaniment highlight the lilting 6/8-meter, folk-like melody, and consistent homophonic choral texture. The repetitive lines, “Love me, love me, love me!”, and “kiss me, kiss me, kiss me!”, inspire the musical refrains. One of a set of six of Teasdale's love songs. Duration: 1:45

Be/dazzled

Be/dazzled, concertino for Electric Violin and Chamber Orchestra, draws its inspiration from the first line of a text that is a paraphrase of the second Logion (sayings attributed to Christ) from the Gospel according to Thomas: "Let him seek and cease not ’til he finds, and when he finds he will be troubled, and when he has been troubled, he shall marvel: and he will reign over the All." The solo violinist is cast as the seeker. The opening cadenza has a searching quality which is developed in a dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra. The ending moves towards the idea of the title: that there is an opening into dazzling brilliance and understanding of the All.