Vocal

A New Day

A New Day Is the first part of the three-part song series, Three Leaves on the Wind. Barbara Kupferberg wrote the lyrics, and I composed the music. Listen to this wonderful live performance by Windsong Harlie Sponaugle, soprano; Michael Bowyer, flute; Nancy Genovese, clarinet; Amy Rothstein, piano

I. A New Day

Words do not a fortress make,
Nor sounds a perfect paradise,
But like a paperweight can seem,
A small world, self-contained, concise,
That we can enter when we choose,
Life gives us tools that we can use.

Sometimes too many trials arise,
The trails of chance oft hold us back,
The woods so wild, the way so black,
That we must close our eyes awhile,
Allowing dreams to spin the dial.

In the end, the muse brings peace,
A small perfection in the hand,
A sound so pure, it brings a tear,
A word so placed, no more to say,
Brings dawning of a better day.

A New Day (Full score)
A New Day (Piano part)
A New Day (Flute part)
A New Day (Clarinet part)
A New Day (Soprano part)

Windsong

Windsong Is the second part of the three-part song series, Three Leaves on the Wind. Barbara Kupferberg wrote the lyrics, and I composed the music. Listen to this wonderful live performance by Windsong Harlie Sponaugle, soprano; Michael Bowyer, flute; Nancy Genovese, clarinet; Amy Rothstein, piano

II. Windsong

Where does the wind stay, when it is still?
Soft on the mountain, high on the hill,
Hums to itself, prepares for the flight,
Gathering windsongs, all through the night.

Where stays the spirit who sings me my poems?
Soft as a moonbeam, high as my heart,
Choosing the phrases, tasting the words,
Capturing images, taming wild birds.

When I am empty and thirsty for life,
When I am lonely or troubled by strife,
High on the mountain and soft by the hill,
I wander; not singing, not humming, just still.
The trees of my soul bending deep in a prayer,
The hope in my heart bursting out of its lair.

Listen, the wind sings a song so inspired,
Wonderful, perfect, so beautifully fired,
Is it the spirit that sings, not the wind;
Are they but one, wind is spirit, spirit wind?

Ah, inspiration’s a breath taken in,
The air is a windsong a spirit can sing,
And high on my mountain or low on my hill,
I bend to its fancy, I yield to its will.

Piano score (Windsong)
Piano (Windsong)
Soprano (Windsong)
Flute (Windsong)
Clarinet (Windsong)

Flames

Flames Is the third part of the three-part song series, Three Leaves on the Wind. Barbara Kupferberg wrote the lyrics, and I composed the music. Listen to this wonderful live performance by Windsong Harlie Sponaugle, soprano; Michael Bowyer, flute; Nancy Genovese, clarinet; Amy Rothstein, piano

III. Flames

I write at the whim of my fire,
And burn with the heat of the flame,
There is no desire for glory,
Nor thirst for the flavor of fame.

I write at its whim, where it takes me,
Meander the paths at its will,
See the world through the glaze that surrounds it,
Aglow with the blaze of the kiln.

Blowing glass, making pottery's exciting,
What's created is new every time,
Forged by one's mettle, metal tested,
The letters of fire need not rhyme.
Like fire, the holy breath feeds it,
The rhythm of life sets its beat,
And the red and the gold are its banner,
The whim of the fire guides its feet.

Poetry moves unrestricted,
Burning bright in the glory hole's eye,
The breath of the dragon that fuels it,
Reaches higher than the stars, than the sky!

Piano score (Flames)
Piano (Flames)
Flute (Flames)
Clarinet (Flames)
Soprano (Flames)

The Song I Never Wrote

Barbara Kupferberg wrote the powerful lyrics for The Song I Never Wrote, and then I set the poem to music. The song was written specially for a father (tenor) and daughter (soprano) duo, with piano accompaniment. Gordon Roesler and E. Hope Price, a real father-and-daughter team, with Amy Rothstein gave a wonderful performance.

FATHER:
You are the song I never wrote,
The poem whose words eluded me,
The sweet creation that just grew,
You are my heart's remembrance, too.

DAUGHTER:
You were the fairy-tale king of my stories,
You are the one who created my world,
You are the one, You are the one,
You are the one that I turned to for succor,
When all my colorful ribbons unfurled.

FATHER:
Where have the days gone, the years and the moments,
Where is that look of wide-eyed delight ?
At night in my dreams, at night in my dreams,
At night in my dreams you appear as you were, dear,
All of your years still color my sight.

DAUGHTER:
You held my hand, when we walked in the park, dear,
You whistled songs from a far-away land,
Now in your face, now in your face,
Now in your face I can see you remember,
You gave me your heart in the palm of your hand.

FATHER and DAUGHTER:
Where have the years gone, the days and the moments,
Where are the words that we never said ?
Where are the hopes, where are the hopes,
Where are the hopes and the dreams we uncovered ?
They are alive, they are alive,
They are alive, they are not dead.

Sing me a song now, sweet as tomorrow,
Let the sun rise on the start of this day.
Let us look forward to what we can share now,
That is our prospect, that is our way.

Things past support us, ally us, endear us,
Here in our faces there's love in our eyes,
Sing we, tomorrow, sing we, tomorrow,
Sing we tomorrow, our song
our song, our song of the future,
Sing we, together, a small paradise.

The Song I Never Wrote (Piano part)
The Song I Never Wrote (Soprano and Tenor parts)

Love Songs of Yehuda Halevi

Yehuda Halevi was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born around 1075, and is considered one of the greatest Hebrew poets, celebrated both for his religious and secular poems. Here, I have selected several of his poems that have been translated from the original Hebrew into English.

1. He Comes

He comes, O bliss!
Fly swiftly you winds,
You flowery breezes
And tell him how long I've waited for this!
Oh Happy, that night, when sunk on your breast,
Your kisses fast falling and drunken with love,
My faith I did pledge.
Again my sweet friend
Embrace me close.
Yes heaven does bless us.
And now you have won My love without end.

2. Sabbath, My Love

I greet my love with wine and gladsome lay.
Welcome thrice welcome joyous Seventh day!
Six slaves the weekdays are.
I share a shift of toil and care.
Yet light the burdens seem.
I bear for your sweeet sake,
Sabbath my love!
On the first day to my normal task I go content no bonus ask.
Save in your smile at length, to bask
Day blessed by God Sabbath my love!
Is the second day dull?
Is the third day unbright?
Are the sun and stars hidden from the fourth day's sight?
What need I care?

I see your light.
Orb of my life,
Sabbath my love!
The fifth day, joyful tidings ring,
Tomorrow shall your freedom bring!
At dawn a slave at eve a king!
God's table waits Sabbath my love.
Sabbath my love.
On the sixth day, does my cup overflow,
what blissful rest the night shall know.
When in your arms, my toil and woe are all forgotten Sabbath my love!
So now, it's dusk, with sudden light distilled.
From one sweet face, the world is filled.
The tumult of my heart is stilled, for you have arrived Sabbath my love!
Bring fruits and wine, and sing a cheerful lay,
chant "Come in peace, oh blissful seventh day!"

3. The Mirror

Into my eyes he lovingly looked
My arms were about his neck intertwined.
And in the mirror of my eyes
What but his image did he find?
Upon my dark eyes he pressed up his lips
with breath of passion rare
The rogue! 'Twas not my eyes he kissed!
He kissed his picture mirrored there!

4. A Love Song

Do you see over my shoulders falling
Snake like ringlets waving free?
Have no fear, for they are twisted
to allure you unto me.
Thus she spoke, the gentle dove.
Listen to your plighted love.
"Oh how long I wait till my sweetheart comes back again" she said.
Laying his caressing hand under my burning head.

This fabulous performance is by Ensemble a la Carte (Karen Judkins, flute; Kristana Johnson, oboe; Angela Murakami, clarinet; Eric Moore, horn; Robin Gelman, bassoon) and Laurie Mangold, alto.

1) He Comes A woman eagerly awaits the arrival of her man.

2) Sabbath, My Love Counting down the days till the arrival of the Sabbath

3) The Mirror A woman speaks of her man, who loves himself most of all!

4) A Love Song A woman is planning seduction

Full Score (Love Songs of Yehuda Halevi)
Alto (Love Songs of Yehuda Halevi)
Flute (Love Songs of Yehuda Halevi)
Oboe (Love Songs of Yehuda Halevi)
Clarinet in Bb (Love Songs of Yehuda Halevi)
Horn in F (Love Songs of Yehuda Halevi)
Bassoon (Love Songs of Yehuda Halevi)

Working Too Hard

Working Too Hard Is a fun trio for soprano, tenor, and baritone, with piano accompaniment. David Runions wrote the lyrics to this song, along with a full book for the musical "A Mind Like Mind". The song consists of multiple melodies; an original melody plus three well-known melodies. Of course, it is all tongue-in-cheek, to fit in with the comedy.

Working Too Hard (Full score)

Voyage to a New Land

Voyage to a New Land is written for mixed chorus (SATB) and piano accompaniment. This piece was written in collaboration with British lyricist Simon Read. This piece is an epic drama, and lasts about 11 minutes in duration.

Listen to the great performance by the Collegium Musicum of the Friday Morning Music Club Chorale! Here is a list of performers: Thomas Meier, director; Christine Wells, accompanist; Cherrie Anderson, Kathleen Meier, Philippa Shepherd, Christine Wells (sopranos); Leah Baum, Joyce Korvick, B.J. Stone (altos); Mathew Blum, Thomas Meier, Geoffrey Shepherd (tenors); Peter Baum, Ned Dearborn, William Van Stone, John Weiner (basses).

Voyage to a New Land: Piano & Full SATB
Voyage to a New Land: SATB with small Piano
Voyage to a New Land: Piano score & small SATB

Part 1

This land has been our home,
A mother to us all.
She nurtured flesh and bone.
As fields of golden corn.
She gave us summer skies,
Oak trees and mountain side,
Purling rivers running by.
All this did she provide.

Oh mother, Now death hangs in the air
Oh mother, Dark clouds of deep despair
Brimstone burning in the ancient caves.
Oh mother, We hear the woodland scream.
Oh mother, We taste the ash of dreams.
Bless your children as they come of age.

Old trunks and gunny sacks,
All our belongings packed.
At the quayside neatly stacked.
We won't be coming back.
The ocean lies between.
The new world and the old
A bridge of blue and green,
or grave so deep and cold?

Part 2

Farewell to the green hills we leave at the shore.
(Farewell green hills we leave the shore)
Farewell to the country that we'll see no more.
(country we'll see no more.)
The water is steady, the weather is fair.
Our sad tears are mixed with the spray in the air.
(Our tears mixed in air)

Why are we leaving?
(Why do we leave?)
and What will we do?
(What will we do?)
Who will watch over us?
(Who will watch us?)
As we sail through.
(As we sail through.)
Storm clouds and high seas and murderous winds,
Neptune is beckoning us unto him.

Waves now come crashing
(Waves come crashing down.)
Tall as the mast
(Tall as the mast.)
There is no present.
(There is no present.)
There is no past.
(There is no past.)

Raging inferno
(Raging inferno)
Boiling black hell.
(Boiling black hell)
Hungry for secrets,
(Hungry for secrets.)
Dead men don't tell.
(Dead men don't tell.)

The storm has blown over and left us alone.
With cold memories of our distant home.
Day after day on the ocean we roam.
Dead calm and dread of the future unknown.
Land ahoy! Land ahoy!
Land ahoy! Land ahoy!

Part 3

Drop the anchor. Lower the gangplank.
Set the lot of us down.
Oh, the joyous calm of solid ground!
Never has there been such a shaking of hands,
kneeling and praying, embracing dry land.
Glory be! To the mercy! of the sea.

Sing the chantey. Dance with the captain.
Double ration of rum.
Drink to all the miles that we have come.
Ragged we may stand but we rode out the waves.
Hardened and humbled, the rest of our days.
Glory be! To the mercy! of the sea.

Part 4

Close your eyes to the all embracing wilderness.
Close your ears to the hunger of the night.
Find the hollow in your heart.
Where the dreams of home will start.
Crawl inside and stay till morning's light.

Do you long for the places of your childhood years?
(Do you long for the places of your childhood years?)
For the houses and the gardens and the streets?
(For the houses and the gardens and the narrow streets? The streets.)
Does your slumber take you back?
(Does your slumber take you back?)
To that little wooden shack.
(To that little wooden shack. To that special place,)
To the rivers valleys hills and trees.
(To the rivers valleys hills and trees.)

Can you see all the faces of your family?
(Farewell to the green hills we left at the shore.)
Is the cup of your memory still full?
(Farewell to the friendships we will see no more.)
Do the people that you love
(The people who love you)
Feel the forces in their blood?
(The people who care)
As the melancholy magnets pull.
(Shed sad tears.)

Let us not crash like waves on the shore.
Without first breaking on sands of our home.
Let the tears that we have cried
(Let the tears we cried)
Find their way across the tide.
(Flow across the tide.)
To the womb that bred our flesh and our bone.
(To the womb that bred our flesh and bone.)
Let us live our days once more
(Let us live once more)
Far beyond the mighty roar
(Far beyond the roar)
Of the ocean that we crossed from our home.
(Of the ocean that we crossed from home.)

Part 5

Great flames of opportunity weld our future now.
Open out this land. We'll make our way somehow.
Break bonds of insecurity. Loose shackles of our fear.
Woman child and Man, We'll travel far from here.

Sow
We'll sow
Row on row
Our seed will grow
Golden embryos
Our seed will grow
Row on row
We'll sow
Sow!

This wild and great unknown, Our mother shall become.
As generations grow, Under this native sun.
Rich soil and barren sand, bear fruit from all we plant.
Man will share with fellow man,
the bounty of this land.
Man will share with fellow man,
the bounty of this land.