Feature Premiere: Mary’s Song

Composer: Michael Hudlin Sitting here on the cold stable floor, with creatures both great and small “ Joseph my bethrothed fills the manger with straw...”

It’s September, and in a short talk about the season and the likelihood of us being unable to have live music, Carl-Anthony and Michael Hudlin are having a discussion on pandemic protocols and performance.

Carl-Anthony: “I think it would be interesting to see what you would do with that as a creative brief” Michael: “What? With what?” CA: “A carol. A Christmas story piece, written for no more than 5 persons.” M: *Chortles* “Any more things?” CA: *hums* “It should be no more than 5 minutes? Hmm. This is going to be a thing.”

Conversation topic changed, Hudlin may have thought it forgotten. Until a message made its way to him:

A Christmas piece, no more than 5 performers following protocol. At least one steel pan, at least one singer, piano is optional, percussion also optional. It should be on the Christmas story in keeping with the theme. A month and some weeks later, the commissioned music was received. Mary’s song

CA: M:

CA:

M:

CA: A post-partum Magnificat? That’s new *surprised laugh* well yeah, I guess that is it. I see you went lower than the forces stipulation and delivered beautiful lines. Your words? Yeah, they came to me some time ago and this is how I heard it. How would you describe it?

“It is an art song based on what I perceive as Mary’s thoughts after giving birth, what she felt for and feared for her child…what she saw around her, and thought was coming for and to her. It [the piece] conveys this position as accessibly as possible, and as much in the style of a carol as possible – how I imagine that they (carols) would sound from me.”