The Clan of the Lichens
I. All Things Live
II. Night and the Little Failures
III. The Prayer Wind
IV. A Tale for Children and Taller Ones
V. The Clan of the Lichens
Forces: high voice, piano (Mvt. III also available for medium voice)Text: Opal Whiteley
Duration: approx. 19 min.
Premiere: Nov. 21, 2004. Jennifer Tonko, soprano & Jocelyn Hagen, piano (Ultan Hall, Minneapolis, MN)
Commissioned by: The Linden Duo
See the score: PREVIEW THE SCORE (pdf, 1.2 MB)
Order online: Graphite Publishing
REVIEW:
"Lichens" alternated bursts of melodic invention with dreamlike passages of impressionist harmony. In the work's highlight, its agile fourth movement, piano glissandi represented the endless flight of a comet that yearns for rest.
- The Manitou Messenger, St. Olaf College, May 2005LISTEN:
Lindsay Kesselman, soprano.
Christopher Lees, piano (mvts. I, IV). Thomas Jaber, piano (mvts. II, III, V).
These live recordings were sponsored in part by the American Composers Forum through its Encore program, supporting repeat performances of new works. These recordings are protected by copyright and are posted here with Lindsay Kesselman's permission.
PROGRAM NOTE:
Opal Whiteley (1897-1992), child literary prodigy and acclaimed Oregon naturalist, was famous for her bestselling childhood diary (1920), but also wrote some poetry. These poems, extracted from her little-known collection The Flower of Stars, were written when Whiteley was in her early 20's. Whiteley's unique and consistent mythology permeates all of her writing, and these poems are no exception. She often returns to such themes as the universal journey of man, the substantive nature of time, the purity of the color blue, the instinctual understanding of children, the music of the solar system, and a host of metaphors from nature to illuminate personal relationships. After a tremendous scandal in which the true authorship of Whiteley's celebrated journal was questioned, she became virtually unknown and died in 1992 in a London asylum.
The song cycle, which premiered in November 2004, was commissioned by Jennifer Tonko and Jocelyn Hagen, and the composer dedicates the score (with love) to them.
- Abbie Betinis|
I. All things live All things live; The innermost thoughts of a man's soul Walk the highway of the universe And are seen by all the pilgrims Who have gone before. II. Night and the Little Failures Night took up the web of life And wove a star thereon Of amethyst and silver glimmering. From her rosary she drew a pearl And gave its holding to this star Lest coldness come to her heart Also, Night took from her girdle, a rose And caught in its petals the hour glimmering That this star might be a flower To shed its fragrance on earth fields. So wove she into beauty The little failures of man, But his successes She cast to earth again. III. The Prayer Wind There was quiet in the garden, Save for the music From the harp of stars, When to its playing Came the Prayer Wind Wearing rose petal slippers And twining for-get-me-nots In her hair. There was quiet in the garden While the Prayer Wind Dropped her for-get-me-nots From twining in her hair. They fell to earth With the low sweet notes From the harp of stars They gently drifted down And homes were gladder that day - Nobody knew why, only There were more blue-eyed children. |
IV. A Tale for Children and Taller Ones There is a little comet That whirls around the world. Sometimes, He is seen nearing earth, But, mostly, he is seen Dancing and prancing up and down The high hall of heaven. He goeth quickly, Yet may be always with us. He sparkles a song Like a ribbon Have you heard him sing? "I'm so weary and lonely Most people think me A comet only My tail can be very big with light But I'd like to go to bed at night. I'll come with patter light At latter light " V. The Clan of the Lichens We will be gray For the dumbness of old things And we will be Without form As are old longings. And we will be like petals As are new yearnings. And we will be Gray with a little green As are old hopes That live on with a foreseeing And a dream. And we will cling That no wind may part us As old friends. We will be a symbol Of things grown old And the beauty that yet is When youth glory sleeps. |
Poems by Opal Whiteley (1897-1992). To the best of my knowledge, these texts are in the public domain and may be reprinted from this website for use in concert programs and/or promotional materials.
Performed by :
Laura Betinis, mezzo-soprano
Jennifer Kult, soprano; Anatoly Larkin, piano
Jennifer Kult, soprano; Jocelyn Hagen, piano
Lindsay Kesselman, soprano; Christopher Lees, piano
Lindsay Kesselman, soprano; Andrew Fleser, piano
Lindsay Kesselman, soprano; Thomas Jaber, piano