Songs of Innocence

Here is my current project, a song cycle for soprano and piano, the texts from William Blake's Songs of Innocence. What is represented here is a little over half of the song cycle, ten songs in total, about 30 minutes. There are an additional nine songs, some of which I am still working on.

I wanted to explore a wide variety of styles when writing these, so some of the songs are widely contrasted, some very tonal while others are most abstract and atonal.

Only the third song, "The Ecchoing Green" has been recorded live, however it was just recently and I haven't gotten the CD yet. The others aren't due for a performance until November, so the music here is interpreted by Finale and GPO - there isn't a voice patch however in GPO so a clarinet is substituted instead, which I think is the instrument there that can substitute best in a midi format.

The score

The music

Very Nice and fresh.

Listening to it right now...

Lovely.:) All you works are great!

One little thing, it's 'cheer' not 'chear'.;)

Unless you're William Blake, because that's how he spells it in the poem.

Nightscape - are you aware of William Bolcom's "Songs of Innocence and Experience"? - it's a massive orchestral/multi-choir/multi-band setting of the whole set of poems.

Actually, I did become aware of Bolcom's setting after doing some research on the songs. Fortunately, Rhapsody does have a recording of it, so I was able to listen to it (It is a huge piece). I had mixed feelings about it, sensing that while it was an important work for eclecticism and for Bolcom, for some reason the music left me thinking, "What did I just hear?".

In some of the songs he really captures the poem well, but in others it seems too obvious and simple. In several of the songs the music too perfectly matches the rhyme scheme and rhythm of the poems, and I feel that it bypasses some really wonderful things you could do with voice setting - it just sometimes seems like the point is just to sing all of the words regardless of what they mean.

While I obviously do not have the experience and technical prowess of William Bolcolm I like to think that the path I choose in setting these poems is completely different from his - the only real similarity is that the texts for both works is the same.

I agree with you completely - your setting is very different, and pulled off with great skill and dexterity.

Thank you for the compliment.

Hello,

Listening as I type:

What wonderful variety and exploration of both piano and voice. A perfect spectrum to keep the listener occupied. Everything is well thought out and worded with no "cheap shots".

I can hear the time and effort you have put into these works.

Would like to hear the performance!

Thank you for sharing.

Michael

Wow...

I love how the piano is skipping all over in the beginning, and how the key and mood keep getting 'pushed and pulled' by unexpected notes in the soprano...

They fit so well, though- very mysterious...

The slow section right after has a very beautiful lulling, rippling effect.

The variations afterward depict almost every range of feeling and mood.

Well done! I would love to hear the work recorded with the vocalist!

I have listened to the first two and I could barely restrain myself from congratulating you (even though I leave the rest for tomorrow)!

This is magnificently crafted! Every measure is filled with knowledge and love and the interest of the listener is captured throughout the pieces. What beautiful passages melodically and rhythmically, such a colourful harmony...

I can't wait to hear this masterpiece recorded!

I listened to the rest of it...

I am in awe...a true masterpiece! Good luck in having it performed!

Cheers!

Thank you very much! I'm glad you all liked it. I'm still working on it, however I am almost all finished. I've written an additional 6 songs for the cycle since I first posted this, which leaves me only 3 left to write to complete it. When I'm done I'll put up the others.