Cycle of Friends

for Chorus, Chamber Orchestra and Soprano Solo

Completed and premiered in 1996, Cycle of Friends is my first large-scale work and possibly still my favorite. It is a lush, emotional journey through five texts taken from such diverse sources as Tang Dynasty poetry of China, Sappho and Emily Dickinson, each dealing in its own way with the universal theme of friendship.

Cycle of Friends was commissioned and premiered by the Music Group of Philadelphia, Seán Deibler conductor, in Philadelphia in May of 1996.

Instrumentation

Soprano solo, SSAATTBB Chorus (c. 50 members?), Chamber Orchestra (1,1,1,1 1hn, 1tpt, hp, perc, strings)

Duration

5 movements; 25 minutes

Thumb Through the Score

Clicking below will launch a full screen view of the score. Please contact me for a hard-copy perusal score or a set of parts. (Sorry; this won’t work on an iPad.)

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Texts

I. Tell Everyone
Sappho, translated by Mary Bernard

Tell everyone

Now, today, I shall
sing beautifully for
my friends’ pleasure

II. My Old Friend Prepared a Chicken With Millet
Meng Hao-Jan (AD 689-740), translated by Innes Herdan

My old friend prepared a chicken with millet,
Inviting me to visit his country home,
Where the green of the trees
Girdles the village
And beyond the walls the blue hills begin.

We opened your windows to inspect the kitchen-garden,
Took some wine, and spoke of mulberries and flax.
Wait until the Autumn Festival:
I shall come again,
to enjoy your chrysanthemums.

III. Are Friends Delight or Pain?
Emily Dickinson

Are Friends Delight or Pain?
Could Bounty but remain
Riches were good –

But if they only stay
Ampler to fly away
Riches are sad.

IV. Blue Hills Over the North Wall
Li Po (AD 701-762) translated by Innes Herdan

Blue hills over the north wall;
White water swirling to the east of the city:
This is where you must leave me –
A lone puff of thistledown on a thousand mile journey.
Ah the drifting clouds and the thoughts of a wanderer!
The setting sun and emotions of old friends.
A wave of the hand now and you are gone.
Our horses whinnied to each other at parting.

V. Friendship
Aztec (traditional)

Like a quetzal plume, a fragrant flower,
friendship sparkles:
like heron plumes, it weaves itself into finery.
Our song is a bird calling out like a jingle:
how beautiful you make it sound!
Here, among flowers that enclose us,
among flowery boughs you are singing.