For voice and piano

For Summersongs, I collaborated with poet Jacquelynn Berton. She provided the text for “Nonscripta” and “Mellifera.” “Interval” is my own text, written specifically for the musical image I wanted to illustrate.
The first song, Non-scripta, is the most traditionally melodic. Jacquelynn describes the speaker of this poem as a mystical being, a benevolent spirit comforting a child lost in a forest. But, as the movement progresses, it becomes clear that the innocent beauty of the opening lines is not to be trusted. In the second song, we retreat into a more personal space; movement two is an intimate reflection on heartbreak. The vulnerability of the text is matched with simple harmonies and poignant silences. For the final song, Jacquelynn intended her poem to create a sensation of ecstatic stillness, an agitated energy without direction. To depict this quality, I composed music with a sprawling harmonic rhythm, floating vocal lines, and churning figuration.