Three Songs of Summer
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$15.00 - $30.00
per item
for soprano, flute, clarinet, horn, and piano
original text by Jonathan Posthuma
original text by Jonathan Posthuma
I. The Hills of Cochranton
II. Butterflies in the Garden
III. Fog
Duration: 8'
Premiere: Dordt College, February 18, 2010
Duration: 8'
Premiere: Dordt College, February 18, 2010
Emily Hageman, soprano; Miranda De Bey, flute; Karen De Mol, clarinet; Ruth Mahaffey, horn; Krista De Vries, piano; Jonathan Posthuma, conductor
Program Note
These three texts written by the composer over a span an entire summer of natural experiences. Each movement describes a particular moment when the composer felt moved by the natural world. “Hills of Cochranton” was written while on vacation with friends and family in northwest Pennsylvania. It describes the experience of looking over the wooded valleys on a hot summer day, a sensation that the hills are drowning in a dense, thick haze. The eerie silence is broken only by the sounds of the trees and the birds. “Butterflies in the Garden” was written at the composer’s family farm in Brandon, WI and is a reaction to what the composer is labeling the summer of the orange sulfur butterfly. The near-infinite supply of butterflies continually fluttered throughout the landscape, always acting as a joy and inspiration. “Fog” was written after a strange but beautiful morning in which the fog hung heavy but was pierced with a soft glow. The disorienting nature of the fog is depicted with parts that slide against each other both rhythmically and harmonically. The song ends with a firm resolution that through all the chaos, the sparkling light of the morning will triumph in the end. Three Songs of Summer is the first installment of a series of original poems dedicated to each season and written for specific ensembles and voice types (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) which has not been completed.
Lyrics
I. Hills of Cochranton
The hills of Cochranton stretch for miles,
Shrouded in the dense, white heat of summer.
Masked by the sound of crickets
I sense a silent haze.
A tall oak tree stands,
Creaking, aching, constantly baking.
But, out in the distance, the hills watch,
Unmoved by heat.
Perched on a distant hill I hear birds
Calling, crackling, cooing and cackling.
But the hills make no sound!
The hills of Cochranton stretch,
Soundless,
But filled with sound.
--Cochranton, PA - July 18, 2010
II. Butterflies in the Garden
The butterflies are in the garden
And fluttering throughout the yard,
Then –
Up again they soar
Ten or twenty more
Then –
Gone from sight
No more gentle flight
The butterflies are gone
Then –
Circling and passing by me
The butterflies return to view
So gentle and serenely fly
Really have no reason why
Butterflies fly in my garden.
-- Brandon, WI – August 3, 2010
III. Fog
If you rise up early
You will see the fog.
Covering the hills and trees
Allowing only the closet five bales of hay to be visible
The fog is not quite like the sea
And not quite like a rainstorm
For those have distinctness
Fog has no horizon
No point of reference
No light or shade
No up or down
No direction
Aimless, wandering, lost
But like a veil, the fog can be lifted
The sun waits anxiously behind the curtain of white
The bride’s smile shines
And is reflected in the diamonds and pearls of her jewelry
Because when the fog is lifted
The dew begins to shine
-- Brandon, WI – August 22, 2010
Full Score
These three texts written by the composer over a span an entire summer of natural experiences. Each movement describes a particular moment when the composer felt moved by the natural world. “Hills of Cochranton” was written while on vacation with friends and family in northwest Pennsylvania. It describes the experience of looking over the wooded valleys on a hot summer day, a sensation that the hills are drowning in a dense, thick haze. The eerie silence is broken only by the sounds of the trees and the birds. “Butterflies in the Garden” was written at the composer’s family farm in Brandon, WI and is a reaction to what the composer is labeling the summer of the orange sulfur butterfly. The near-infinite supply of butterflies continually fluttered throughout the landscape, always acting as a joy and inspiration. “Fog” was written after a strange but beautiful morning in which the fog hung heavy but was pierced with a soft glow. The disorienting nature of the fog is depicted with parts that slide against each other both rhythmically and harmonically. The song ends with a firm resolution that through all the chaos, the sparkling light of the morning will triumph in the end. Three Songs of Summer is the first installment of a series of original poems dedicated to each season and written for specific ensembles and voice types (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) which has not been completed.
Lyrics
I. Hills of Cochranton
The hills of Cochranton stretch for miles,
Shrouded in the dense, white heat of summer.
Masked by the sound of crickets
I sense a silent haze.
A tall oak tree stands,
Creaking, aching, constantly baking.
But, out in the distance, the hills watch,
Unmoved by heat.
Perched on a distant hill I hear birds
Calling, crackling, cooing and cackling.
But the hills make no sound!
The hills of Cochranton stretch,
Soundless,
But filled with sound.
--Cochranton, PA - July 18, 2010
II. Butterflies in the Garden
The butterflies are in the garden
And fluttering throughout the yard,
Then –
Up again they soar
Ten or twenty more
Then –
Gone from sight
No more gentle flight
The butterflies are gone
Then –
Circling and passing by me
The butterflies return to view
So gentle and serenely fly
Really have no reason why
Butterflies fly in my garden.
-- Brandon, WI – August 3, 2010
III. Fog
If you rise up early
You will see the fog.
Covering the hills and trees
Allowing only the closet five bales of hay to be visible
The fog is not quite like the sea
And not quite like a rainstorm
For those have distinctness
Fog has no horizon
No point of reference
No light or shade
No up or down
No direction
Aimless, wandering, lost
But like a veil, the fog can be lifted
The sun waits anxiously behind the curtain of white
The bride’s smile shines
And is reflected in the diamonds and pearls of her jewelry
Because when the fog is lifted
The dew begins to shine
-- Brandon, WI – August 22, 2010
Full Score