Last year, the choir I sing with here in Poland, Musica Sacra, recorded an album of all-new settings of the “Pie Jesu” text. The pieces are all quite different in tone and style, and it was an incredible experience to both compose and sing for the project. I’ve recently uploaded the recording to my SoundCloud page:
I’m excited to announce that my recently-composed “Pie Jesu” for SSA will be programmed this October by Dulciana, a women’s chamber choir in Dublin, Ireland. This will be their second annual ♀ concert, featuring works by contemporary women composers from around the world. I plan to attend the concert (the incredible closeness of countries in Europe!), and I can’t wait to hear another choir’s take on the piece.
I’ve also just uploaded the premiere performance to SoundCloud, which you can listen to here.
Earlier this week, I finally completed a draft of my commission for WomenSing’s “Youth Inspiring Youth” contest. It was my first time working with Spanish poetry. I’ve always thought that Spanish is a beautiful language, and it was wonderful to set to music. The poem I chose was written by two nine-year-old girls from California. Here it is:
[column col=”1/2″ last=”no”] Hay un Río Oscuro
En la alcantarilla de la calle
En frente de mi escuela.
Nació de la lluvia
Y ya no corre más.
Se queda triste
Con gotas de gasolina
Y un papel rojo
Que tiró un niño
Después de comer un dulce.
Pero aun triste y sucio
Lleva la sombra de mi cara
Las nubes andrajosas
Y en blanco y negro
Todo el cielo. [/column]
[column col=”1/2″ last=”yes”] [column col=”1/2″ last=”no”] There is a dark river
In the gutter of the street
In front of my school.
I was born in the rain
And isn’t flowing anymore.
It’s sort of sad
With drops of gasoline
And a red wrapper
Some kid tossed
After eating a candy.
But although it’s sad and filthy
It carries the shadow of my face
The tattered clouds
And in white and black
The whole sky. [/column]
Michelle Díaz Garza, age 9
& Rosa Baum, age 9
Watsonville, California
Beautiful, isn’t it? Over the next couple months I’ll be working with the WomenSing family to finalize the piece, which will be premiered in June 2013.