Voice
Writing for solo voice, like choral music is a great source of personal satisfaction. My work in this area encompasses both sacred and secular music, simple songs and larger song cycles. Some of the works in this section have been published in the past, but are currently out of print. I hope to resolve this situation in the future; for now, please contact me directly for more information regarding these works.
Writing song cycles is a particularly strong interest; my wife Joan says that I work best with the large scale stuff! I do like the opportunity to create a larger dramatic structure, and to look for ways to make connection between movements. Working with the poetry of Langston Hughes has afforded me this pleasure; not only in the Langston's Lot cycle that is listed here, but also in a new follow-up collection that will be online soon! In years past, I have also benefitted from similar experiences with texts taken from the Song of Solomon (Songs of the Beloved) and civil rights leader Benjamin Chablis (Psalms from Prison). Some of these latter works are sold and pre-computer, but I hope to have them available online in the not-so-distant future.
In recent years, I have enjoyed a return to smaller projects, courtesy of the talents of my Heidelberg colleague, Bill Reyer. The Simple Songs that are listed on this site are based on original poems written by Bill over the years.
I have also spent a considerable amount of time setting the words of the American poet Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933). For more information on this project, please see the Teasdale Songs listing on this page, recordings of selected songs in the Recording section, and articles in the Ruminations section of this website.
Power in Numbers
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Volunteers