Ancient Hymns and Prayers: Six Songs for Voice and Piano (2022)

In creating a substantial song cycle for non-binary tenor Kristyn Michele, my goal was to show off Kristyn as a singer and performer of new music. While adept at standard tenor repertoire, Kristyn’s beautiful changed voice has a unique sound and expressivity. These songs were specifically crafted with these qualities in mind. The texts for the cycle consist of my own translations from the Greek of Plato, Homer, Sappho, the Orphic Hymn to Night and the Seikilos Epitaph, as well as a small part of St. Francis’s Canticle of the Sun (from Umbrian Italian). These all come together to weave a sort of narrative, one deeply appreciative of the earth and of the basic aspects of nature and our lives.

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