The poems for Three Songs evoked three distinct feelings in me such that I felt they would work well as a set. In “Insomnia & So On,” there is stillness, a sense of desperation and frustration of being stuck in the endless hours of unrest. The instruments paint a backdrop for the voice, gently pulling and pushing so there is never quite a sense of rest and relaxation. In “You,” accusations fly off the soprano’s tongue as her melody dips and soars, quickly keeping up with the words in the poem. In the last song, “Drifting at Midday,” there is finally a sense of comfort, of quiet realization. The instruments create a consonant foundation for the soprano to find peace through the text.
