Choral Chameleon (Ensemble): 2014 - Storytime Part One Program

Program

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**House to House

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Five Canzonets

Jean Berger (1909-2002)

I. Snake Baked a Hoe Cake II. The Prune Song III. Grasshopper Song IV. Hobby Horse V. Frisco Whale

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El Fuego (Ensalada)

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from

Vince Peterson (b.1981)

Text: Federico Garcia Lorca

Mateu Fletxa el Viejo (1481-1553)

Alice in Wonderland (Series II)

Irving Fine (1914-1962) Text: Lewis Caroll

II. Lullaby of the Dutchess Heather Meyer, Soprano

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I NT E R M I S S I O N !!

III. Father William

The Boy Who Picked Up His Feet to Fly

Joshua Shank (b. 1980)

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Full Fathom Five

Vince Peterson (b. 1981)

Text: William Shakespeare “The Nymphettes” Julie Waters, Michelle Coladonato, and Charla Burton

from Five

at St. Paul’s Carroll Street!

199 Carroll Street - Brooklyn, New York!

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Saturday, September 20th, 2014 - 8pm!

Friday, September 26th, 2014 - 8pm A Note from Vince: Welcome to the opening concert of our Seventh Season! We are very excited to share the Storytime Series with you. I would draw your attention to the fact that there is a second part to this concert, which will be presented in May at ACME Studios in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on May 16th and May 21st. In particular, The Story of Jumping Mouse by Liz Hanna, which we are premiering tonight will be continued in a second installment at these spring performances. You won’t want to miss what happens! Mark your calendars now. As we begin this season, we also thank you for all your taxdeductible financial contributions to our Annual Fund. Every dollar goes straight to what you are witnessing in our concerts tonight and throughout the season! We feel very fortunate at Choral Chameleon to have such a thriving community of supporters helping us do this important work in the world! Welcome, Welcome, one and all! We’re glad you’re here!

Childhood Lyrics

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John Rutter (b.1945)

I. Monday’s Child II. Sing a Song of Sixpence

*Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

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Paul McCartney (b. 1942)

arr. Julian Bennett Holmes

*The Story of Jumping Mouse Movement I

Liz Hanna (b.1988)

Text based on the work by John Steptoe Liz Hanna, Soprano

**I Am Music

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Dale Trumbore

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Text: Anonymous (ca.1919)

* - Denotes a World Premiere ** - Denotes a New York Premiere

Choral Chameleon Vince Peterson, Artistic Director Jason Wirth, Pianist

Texts and Translations

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House to House

from Poem of the Deep Song Text: Federico Garcia Lorca

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Let’s go from house to house.

We’ll come to where the seahorse graze.

It’s not the sky.

It’s solid earth.

With so many crickets that sing, with grasses that wave, with clouds that lift, with slings shooting stones, and swordlike wind, I want to be a boy!

!Five Canzonets !

Text: from the Beloit Poetry Journal Snake baked a hoecake

Snake baked a hoecake and left a frog to mind it The frog went to sleep and the lizard came and stole it "Bring back my hoecake, you long-tailed lizard you!"

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The rain came and wet me The sun cam e and dried me Stand back pretty gal, don't you come a nigh me.

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Prune Song

No matter how young a prune my be he's always full of wrinkles A baby prunes just like his dad but he's not wrinkled quite so bad.

We have wrinkles on our face, pruney has them every place NO matter how young a prune may be he's always full of wrinkles No matter how young a prune may be he's always getting stewed.

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Grasshopper Song

There once was a grasshopper lived in a pine tree Silver-voiced like a frog in June, he was not pleased with his situation Thought he would like to go to the moon Oh heigh oh, "Why did I come here?

With a hop and a skip and a flop and a flip Way up to the moon I will go."

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Up he went like a streak of lightening Down he went like a thunderbolt There he spied a man with a lantern Riding on a pea-green colt Oh heigh oh, "Why did I come here?

With a hop and a skip and a flop and a flip Way back to the earth I will go."

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Up he went like a fiery rocket Down he came like a shooting star Whom should he meet but a gay little goshawk Flying over the earth so far Oh heigh oh, poor little grasshopper With a snap and a tweak of the bonnie bird's beak And that was the end of him, oh.

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Hobby Horse

Little hobby horse as white as milk Saddled with the gold and bridled with the silk Pigs in the parlor, making up the beds

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Cats before the fire, combing their hair.

Little hobby horse as white as milk Saddled with the gold and bridled with the silk Missus in the dairy, making cheese Cows in the meadow, making hay Horses in the barn, thrashing out corn Did you ever see such a little one since I was born.

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Little hobby horse as white as milk Saddled with the gold and bridled with the silk Did you ever see such a little one since I was born.

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The Frisco Whale

In Frisco bay there lives a whale They feed her pork chops by the pail By the pillbox, by the bath tub, By the washtub, by the schooner.

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Her name is Sarah and she's a peach.

But don't leave food with in her reach Or nursemaids or babies or chocolate ice cream sodas.

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She loves to eat and when she smiles You can just see teeth for miles and miles And spareribs and tonsils, and things to fierce to mention Now what would you do in a case like that?

Now what would you do but step on your hat, Or your mother, or your toothbrush or anything that's helpless!

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El Fuego (Translation)

Translation: Carlos Cuestas Run, run, sinners!

Quickly bring water to the fire Fire, fire, water to the fire!

The damned sin feeds this fire, which sets idle ones on fire

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Anyone who wishes Divine salvation, better put off the fire with water Fire, fire, bring water to the fire

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Come quickly, sinners, put off this fire, then do penance for all your wrongs

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Ring those bells — ding dong — Within your hearts!

All of humanity must Surrender false idolatry to God. Ring those bells — ding dong — Summon those who bring the water at once!

So that they can help us put this fire out.

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Bring with haste from the pure waters the one thousand given penances of your consciousness Thus you will kill the forge of your ill desires And hideous enemies will flee

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Oh, how the world embraces without fearing God,

Always giving his love for the Devil to knead with!

For he who trespasses God’s commands

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Shall feel insulted as we sing: “I say, Surely the darkness will overwhelm me; The light around me will be light”

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This world in which we wonder is a boiling forge where water won’t have a place if by chance we are late.

Oh, how we hold each other in this boiling world!

For any sinner God does not take away what He has given, we shall recall what was said of Rome when they burned without mercy

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“Nero, of Tarpey, does behold How Rome does burn all on a flame, He hears the cries of young and old Yet is not grieved at the same” Haste! Bring water at once!

And you there, catch!

Run! Quick bring aid!

Be quick and ever light to beat your chests!

—behind—Run! Catch, catch! These ceilings!

Saw those wooden planks!

Pluck! — dan dan —

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Pluck, pluck faster that we lead without redemption!

Pluck faster that our passion Is quenched with water!

And so, with fair truth People will speak Where can we find them?

Where is such sovereign water?

Where are there such waters?

Play, Juan, with your little bagpipe For regret has ceased I will teach you a song Rather polished and wonderful.

Here it is —

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Oh, well! We all sing Dindirín, dindirín, dindín From the pure Virgin Pure water has flowed For she has conceived Eternal God’s only Son for Him to rule This lost world; And a Virgin gave Him birth, As we all know, To retrieve what Our fathers have lost

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Rejoice, gentlemen!

For this day has brought The lambs’ Shepherd From Virgin Mary’s womb Dindirín

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And with this Birth; which is sweet and pure water Our regrets are consoled To show us that

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We, the thirsty ones, now have this water to drink from, keeping the commandments Ordained by God, And so we say: “Everyone that drinks from this water, Shall never thrist”

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Texts and Translations (continued)

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Alice in Wonderland (Series II) !

Text: Lewis Carroll

II. Lullaby of the Dutchess

Speak roughly to your little boy, And beat him when he sneezes; He only does it to annoy, Because he knows it teases.

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I speak severely to my boy, I beat him when he sneezes; For he can thoroughly enjoy The pepper when he pleases!

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III. Father William

"You are old, Father William," the young man said, "And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head— Do you think, at your age, it is right?"

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"In my youth," Father William replied to his son, "I feared it might injure the brain; But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again."

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"You are old," said the youth, "And your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than suet; Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak— Pray, how did you manage to do it?"

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"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, And argued each case with my wife; And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw, Has lasted the rest of my life.”

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The Boy Who Picked Up His Feet to Fly Text: Mark Robinson Soaring and spinning and touching the sky The boy who picked up his feet to fly “Hooray!”

“Oh Dear!”

“So long, good-bye!”

Said Johnny and Jenny and Alison Bly

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Flying on sunbeams and kissing the sky The house and trees all whizzing right by As further And faster He flew upon high The boy who picked up his feet to fly

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Mountains and deserts and oceans and sky The moon and the sun and the birds that cry “No more, I’m tired.

I’ve had my try.”

Said the boy who picked up his feet to fly

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The boy who picked up his feet to fly Never was able to step from the sky But flew on and on as years passed by And deep in the wind you can still hear him sigh…

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Full Fathom Five

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Text: William Shakespeare Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes; Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange.

Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell: Ding-dong.

Hark! now I hear them — Ding-dong, bell.

!! from Five Childhood Lyrics !

Text: Nursery Rhymes (Traditional) Monday’s Child

Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for a living, But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

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Sing a Song of Sixpence

Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye.

Four and twenty blackbirds, Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened, The birds began to sing; Wasn't that a dainty dish, To set before the king?

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The king was in his counting house, Counting out his money; The queen was in the parlour, Eating bread and honey.

The maid was in the garden, Hanging out the clothes, When down came a blackbird And pecked off her nose.

!Maxwell’s Silver Hammer !

Text: Paul McCartney

Joan was quizzical, studied pataphysical Science in the home Late nights all alone with a test-tube ohh oh oh oh Maxwell Edison majoring in medicine Calls her on the phone Can I take you out to the pictures, Joan?

But as she's getting ready to go A knock comes on the door

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Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer Came down upon her head Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer Made sure that she was dead

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Back in school again Maxwell plays the fool again Teacher gets annoyed Wishing to avoid an unpleasant scene She tells Max to stay when the class has gone away So he waits behind Writing 50 times "I must not be so" oh oh oh But when she turns her back on the boy He creeps up from behind

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Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer Came down upon her head Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer Made sure that she was dead

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P.C. Thirty-One said "We caught a dirty one" Maxwell stands alone Painting testimonial pictures ohh oh oh oh Rose and Valerie screaming from the gallery Say he must go free The judge does not agree and he tells them so oh oh oh But as the words are leaving his lips A noise comes from behind

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Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer Came down upon his head Bang, Bang, Maxwell's silver hammer Made sure that he was dead

!I Am Music ! !

Text: Anonymous (ca. 1919) Through me spirits immortal speak the message that makes the world weep, and laugh, and wonder, and worship.

I tell the story of love, the story of hate, the story that saves, and damns.

I am the incense upon which prayers float to heaven.

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I am the smoke which palls over the field of battle where men lie dying with me on their lips.

I am close to the marriage altar, and when the graves open, I stand nearby.

I call the wanderer home, I rescue the soul from the depths.

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I open the lips of lovers and through me the dead whisper to the living.

I speak through the birds of the air, the insects of the field, the crash of the waters on rock-ribbed shores, the sighing of wind in the trees, and I am even heard by the soul that knows me in the clatter of wheels on city streets.

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I know my brother, yet all men are my brothers; I am of them and they are of me, for I am the instrument of God.

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I am music.

Performer Biographies

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Heather Michele Meyer, Soprano made her professional debut as the Governess in The Turn of the Screw.

A former Caramoor Apprentice Artist, her opera roles have included many of Britten and Mozart's masterpieces, and her oratorio repertoire stretches from Handel to Poulenc to William Hawley.

Increasingly in demand as a specialist in the works of living composers, she has premiered and performed solo works by Jeremy Howard Beck, John David Earnest, Daniel Felsenfeld, Jennifer Griffith, Kamran Ince, Jiri Kaderàbek, Paula Kimper and David T. Little. She has appeared with American Opera Projects, Center for Contemporary Opera, Encompass New Opera Theatre, the NY Composers Circle, NYC Fringe Festival, Opera Index, Paola Prestini's Ferus Festival, and Stage|Time Collaborative. Upcoming engagements include the role of Elu/Life in the US premiere of Roxanna Panufnik's Dance of Life with Choral Chameleon. This is her first season with Choral Chameleon.

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Cameron Bernard Jones, Bass-Baritone is a versatile performance artist with his Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. He has performed throughout the USA, South America and Europe, most recently in the Royal Danish Opera's production of Porgy & Bess in Copenhagen, Denmark. His next venture has him singing in the Landestheater Linz musical production of Showboat in Linz, Austria.

Cameron also has a great passion for dance.

With choral music dear to his heart, he has sung with groups like the Marble Choir (of Marble Collegiate Church) and the National Children's Chorus' auxiliary men's chorus.

(Website: www.cameronbernardjones.com) This is his third season with Choral Chameleon.

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Charla Burton, Alto is so excited to be performing again with Choral Chameleon! Her busy schedule includes working here in Brooklyn as a hospice music therapist, where she is has the privilege and honor to use her musical gifts to help heal and support those who are terminally ill and their loved ones.

Charla is also Music Director at Our Lady of the Cenacle church in Richmond Hill, NY. And last but definitely not least, Charla is the proud mother of baby Grace, who turns one year old this week! Charla wants to thank her husband, George, without whose love and support she couldn’t possibly do all of these things, and Vince and the rest of the Chameleon crew for welcoming her into this truly life-changing experience. This is her second season with Choral Chameleon.

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Michelle Coladonato, Alto is currently a senior undergraduate student majoring in Music Education at Brooklyn College Conservatory of music. Although this is her first concert singing with the choir she is no stranger to the Choral Chameleon Family.

She worked as their student intern since 2012 and has recently become the Chorus Manager. Michelle also sings with Chameleonic and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church choir. She recently attended Choral Chameleon’s Summer Institute program where Choral Chameleon sang two pieces under her direction, and premiered her original choral work. Michelle is so grateful to be part of such a wonderful organization and excited to be performing with such talented musicians. This is her first season with Choral Chameleon.

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Julie Waters, Soprano/Alto Swing grew up in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington, where she was able to participate in an extensive choral program under the direction of Dr. Sarah Graham at Sumner High School. She then went on to Western Washington University (WWU), where she studied Secondary Choral Music Education and Advanced Choral Conducting with Dr. Leslie Guelker-Cone, emphasizing the use of Labon Movement Analysis in conducting. While at WWU, Julie sang in the Concert Choir, whose repertoire consisted primarily of 20th Century Music.

Julie moved to New York City where she joined Choral Chameleon in 2009 and became a codirector of Chameleonic in 2012. Julie also currently teaches K-5 Vocal Music at PS/MS 95 in the Bronx. She is a founding member of Choral Chameleon.

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Erika Lloyd, Soprano received her Bachelors of Voice Performance Early Music from Indiana University, where she was a member and soloist of the renowned choral ensemble, Pro Arte, and currently works in NYC as a choral singer, teacher, and rock singer/songwriter. She is the soloist and section leader at Union Church of Bay Ridge and is well known for her Soprano role in "The Good Penny- worths," a R e n a i s s a n c e vo c a l q u a r t e t w i t h l u t e (2007-2011.) Lloyd is most widely known as the lead songstress for indie rock band, Little Grey Girl- friend. Her work in cross-genre performance and composition led to the choral ensemble, Chanticleer,performing Erika’s song, “Cells Planets” (from Little Grey Girlfriend’s second album of the same name) on its 2010-2011 Out of This World Concert Tour (arr. Vince Peterson.) She currently teaches for The Piano School of New York and her own voice studio.

She is a founding member of Choral Chameleon.

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Kevin Rose, Tenor graduated with a BM in Musical Theater from The University of Miami in 2009, where he sang in the Frost Chorale under the direction of Dr. Jo- Michael Scheibe.

Kevin is formerly sang at Union of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn. Professional credits: Frank Wildhorn's Bonnie and Clyde at the Asolo Rep. The- ater, Life of Galileo at Asolo Rep. Theater, Songs for a New World at New American Theater. This is his third season with Choral Chameleon.

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Joseph C. Bellino, Baritone a native of Eastern Long Island and resident of Astoria, Queens, graduated SUNY Fredo- nia with a Bachelors Degree in Music with a concen- tration in Classical Voice. Joseph was invited by Cincinnati Conservatory to study opera abroad in Lucca, Italy, for a summer and has been a profession- al cantor and pianist for the Catholic Church for over twelve years.

Currently Joseph is pursuing a full time career as a singer and actor. Some of his previous roles include: Bob Cratchit in '3 Ghosts' premiere at Theatre Row, J. Pierre Pont Finch in 'How to Succeed in Business, Judge Turpin in Sondheim's 'Sweeney Todd,' and Rapunzel's Prince in 'Into the Woods.' Joe is a founding member of Choral Chameleon.

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Mark Johnson, Bass has sung in a cappella ensembles of every size and many musical styles. He has worked with Toby Twining, as music director, producer, and singer for Chrysalid Requiem (1999–2002) and Eurydice (2008–11); and with the Western Wind, as arranger, recording producer, and ensemble coach at their workshops. This led to work with Hiroko Juni, with Studio Arsis and Tokyo Voices in Japan in the 1990s. Mark sings at Marble Collegiate Church under the direction

of Ken Dake, where he does a good deal of piano tuning and music copying and editing.

He appears on Bobby McFerrin’s latest album,VOCAbuLarieS, arranged and directed

by Roger Treece. This is his fifth season with Choral Chameleon.

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Evan Crawford, Tenor, has lived in New York since 2004 and has sung in venues throughout the city including church services, new music concerts, cabarets, and solo recitals. A lifelong choral music enthusiast, he sang for five years with the Brooklyn College Chamber Choir and was featured as a soloist numerous times in major works including Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and Bach's Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit. Evan has also performed with the Musica Bella Orchestra in Bach’s B-Minor Mass, and in 2008 he toured with the Beijing Olympics Festival Chorus, singing at cultural festivals in Beijing and Shanghai. Evan holds B.M. and M.M. degrees in voice performance from the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music and has maintained a private voice teaching practice in Brooklyn for three years. In addition to his role as a singer, he serves as one of the co-conduc- tors for Choral C h a m e l e o n ’s n e w avo c a t i o n a l ch o i r, Chameleonic. He currently studies voice with Adam Baritot and choral conducting with Vince Peterson. This is his sixth season with Choral Chameleon.

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Alex Canovas, Tenor is beginning a career as a versatile artist, taking on the roles of singer, conductor, and administrator. Highlights include performing 'Monostatos' in Die Zauberflöte with Hubbard Hall Opera Theater, 'Orfeo' in L'Orfeo with Ithaca College Opera, serving as Assistant Conductor for the New York's Chameleonic and Ridgewood NJ's Ars Musica, and serving as Opera Center Coordinator for OPERA America's National Opera Center. Alex holds a B.M. in Voice Performance from Ithaca College. This is his second season with Choral Chameleon.

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Dusty Francis, Bass-Baritone and Conductor enjoys an active career as a performer, clinician, and adjudicator in the New York metropolitan area and across the country. He currently serves as the Music Director of the Ars Musica Chorale and the Choirmaster and Organist of All Saints Episcopal Church. He was recently appointed the Assistant Conductor of the New York City Master Chorale. When not on the conducting podium, Francis can often be heard singing with some of the country's finest professional choral ensembles, including the Tucson Chamber Artists, the Atlanta-based Skylark Vocal Ensemble, and the Manhattan Chorale. Francis holds degrees in Choral Conducting and Music Education from The University of Maryland and Xavier University, respectively. A native of Ohio, he currently resides in Manhattan. Learn more at www.dustyfrancis.com. This is his second season with Choral Chameleon.

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Liz Hanna, Soprano, received her B.Mus in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music and is studying for additional certification in Hospice & Palliative Care Music Therapy. She serves as administrative assistant to the Western Wind Vocal Ensemble, leads chant and improvisation-based meditation services, and is a section leader at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City. A multiinstrumentalist, songwriter, and choral composer, Liz also teaches private voice lessons and sings with the NYC-based new music group C4: The Choral Composer/ Conductor Collective.

This is her second season with Choral Chameleon.

Jason Wirth, Pianist is a wonderfully talented musician in his own right. Mr. Wirth “[spun] a gossamer web of unusual sounds on the piano," raves the New York Times in a recent review of his performance of George Crumb's work Apparition. Born in Minneapolis, he started studying piano seriously at the age of five with Alexander Braginsky, and continued his studies after high school at Mannes (with Pavlina Dokovska) and Yale School of Music (with Boris Berman).

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As a solo pianist, he has performed with the Moscow Philharmonic and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and is a prizewinner from the Andorra International Piano Competition. His recent recording of Poulenc's Babar, with narration by international film star Michael Douglas, was recently released on Naxos.

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At Mannes, Mr. Wirth won the Newton Swift Piano Award, for excellence as a collaborative pianist, and has since worked as an accompanist and coach for numerous opera productions and vocal studios throughout New York City. He is currently a vocal coach at LIU Post, and regularly performs and records with singers and instrumentalists. Last summer, he was a coaching fellow at the Aspen Opera Theater.

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Vince Peterson, Artistic Director is a Brooklynbased composer, conductor, and keyboardist.

He is the founder of Choral Chameleon, a ground-breaking vocal ensemble in New York City, which has made significant strides in modern choral music and concert programming.

The New York Times called Peterson "authoritative beyond his… years," and The Brooklyn Eagle praised his work as "a stunning symphony of the spiritual and secular", while hailing him as a solo performer "with depth and vigor" who "provided a universal context which resonated with his audience."

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Commissioners and distinguished performers of his compositions include Ars Musica, Cantori New York, The Monmouth Civic Chorus, Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, The San Francisco Arts Education Project, and the multi-Grammy® award winning ensemble, Chanticleer, among others. His works have been performed in major concert halls including Chicago Symphony Hall, San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, Bela Bartok National Concert Hall in Budapest, and New York's own Metropolitan Museum of Art. His arrangement of Tom Waits' "Temptation" was called "hard to top" by the San Francisco Chronicle and was recently performed live on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion".

A champion of new music, he is responsible for commissioning and premiering over 100 choral and musical theater works to date.

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While maintaining an active career in choral music, he also serves as Organist and Choirmaster of St. Paul’s Carroll Street in Brooklyn, as Artistic Director of The Empire City Men’s Chorus, and Director of Children’s Choirs at The Lycée Français de New York. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The New York Choral Consortium, where he works to develop the choral art and cultivate new program offerings for NYC choruses, their directors, and their administrators.

Program Note for “The Story of Jumping Mouse”

by Liz Hanna

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Commissioned in 2014 for Choral Chameleon, The Story of Jumping Mouse is a choral adaptation of the Native American folktale by the same name. In consideration of the requirements and opportunities of the choral medium, the composer chose elements from various tellings of the story to create a version that would offer the most fluid and approachable experience.

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The piece tells the story of a Mouse on a journey to the Holy Mountain, a destination that is treated as myth by her tribe, yet which she has seen in a vision after leaving her home. Familiar archetypes of the Hero, Quest, Value, and Sight are explored as the tale spins what seems to be magic out of ordinary elements, inviting us to broaden our understanding of what is before us.

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After receiving a “medicine” (power, healing) near the beginning of her journey, the Mouse encounters creatures along the way who are in dire need of help that she is uniquely positioned to provide. In each case, the animals she meets have been fooled by false expectations: the Bison, having sought love in the consumption of food, has eaten so great a quantity of chokecherries (which are notorious for causing increased thirst or hunger in proportion to their use) that he has become poisoned and is dying. It is only the sight of the Mouse that can save him, and though she understands what the sacrifice will mean for her, the Mouse gives of herself to offer this healing.

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Her subsequent encounter with the Wolf is somewhat more serious, as the Wolf has lost not just her physical wellbeing, but her sanity, as well. Having tried to become “a creature of beauty”, to change herself into something else, she has forgotten her name, her story, and cannot recognize the bounty all around her. She is starving in the midst of the very food that would save her, and yet she is blind to what it is. Once again, the gift of the Mouse’s own sight restores hers. In her wholeness, she recalls how she “let the power run down instead of up”; taking instead of giving. Both incidents, while staying afloat in the context of the story with the buoyant fancy of fable, are representational of a larger issue; perhaps that of the dangers of materialism, and the relative spiritual deficits associated with it. Similarly, the sight of a Mouse, while not necessarily remarkable in a literal sense, takes on a new meaning when sight itself is expanded to include a sense of wisdom, deeper knowing, and a crucial element of the self. We are encouraged and challenged by such a story to reexamine our assignments of value so that we, like the Mouse, can discover new ways of seeing the world and our places in it.

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The second movement of this piece will be premiered at Choral Chameleon’s Storytime II concert series in May 2015, and will portray the resolution of the story.

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His music is published exclusively by Personage Press.

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Upcoming Performances!

October 6th - 7pm, The 92nd Street Y - COMICON Performance with Mythos!!

Mythos features the all-star orchestra The Third Estate, conducted by Austin Wintory — the GRAMMY-nominated composer of Journey. Vocal excitement will be created by members of Choral Chameleon. This concert promises to be an exceptionally innovative concert experience. Austin Wintory has curated this concert from the music of many of today’s leading composers into a seamless, dramatic orchestral work.!

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Mythos is a showcase of great music from across the spectrum of modern orchestral genres — music from Modern Concert Works, Video Games, TV & Film. All of the music been composed in the last five years, and will be performed without pause. Printed concert programs will be withheld until the end of the concert so that all may enjoy the listening pleasure that comes from not knowing what's next! Mythos is musical storytelling in its purest form, driven by the leading voices of today's musical landscape. !

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Mythos, the thrilling and unique concert experience will take place on October 6th, 2014 during the first annual New York Super Week festival, four days before New York Comic Con 2014.!

Also, don’t forget to mark your calendars for our Annual Holiday Concert: MYSTERIUM! Friday, December 12th at 8pm and Sunday, December 14th at 7pm