From “Chicago Songs” World Premiere, Orchestral Version: November 1 2008, Sacramento Philharmonic with Soprano Marnie Breckenridge
World Premiere, Piano/Vocal Version: October 24 2010, New Jersey, Soprano Kelli Estes
Performances with Soprano Ann Moss and Piano Steve Bailey: Nov 6 2010, Fresno CA, Fresno New Music Festival Nov 9 2010, Sacramento Festival of New American Music Jan 28 2011, San Francisco CA, Old First Church (posted recording)
Text: Chamfort by Carl Sandburg
There’s Chamfort. He’s a sample. Locked himself in his library with a gun, Shot off his nose and shot out his right eye. And this Chamfort knew how to write And thousands read his books on how to live, But he himself didn’t know How to die by force of his own hand—see? They found him a red pool on the carpet Cool as an April forenoon, Talking and talking gay maxims and grim epigrams. Well, he wore bandages over his nose and right eye, Drank coffee and chatted many years With men and women who loved him Because he laughed and daily dared Death: “Come and take me.”
From “Chicago Songs” World Premiere, Orchestral Version: November 1 2008, Sacramento Philharmonic with Soprano Marnie Breckenridge
World Premiere, Piano/Vocal Version: October 24 2010, New Jersey, Soprano Kelli Estes
Performances with Soprano Ann Moss and Piano Steve Bailey: Nov 6 2010, Fresno CA, Fresno New Music Festival Nov 9 2010, Sacramento Festival of New American Music Jan 28 2011, San Francisco CA, Old First Church, (posted recording)
Text: Jack by Carl Sandburg
Jack was a swarthy, swaggering son-of-a-gun. He worked thirty years on the railroad, ten hours a day, and his hands were tougher than sole leather. He married a tough woman and they had eight children and the woman died and the children grew up and went away and wrote the old man every two years. He died in the poorhouse sitting on a bench in the sun telling reminiscences to other old men whose women were dead and children scattered. There was joy on his face when he died as there was joy on his face when he lived—he was a swarthy, swaggering son-of-a-gun.
From “Silver Apples” World Premiere: Jan 24 2009, San Francisco - New American Chamber Music Program II Ann Moss, soprano; Steve Bailey, piano
Repeat Performances: Mar 7 2009, Edinburg TX, New American Chamber Music, Cheryl Cellon, piano Apr 26 2009, San Jose, SFBay NACUSA, Cheryl Cellon, piano Nov 6 2010, Fresno CA, Fresno New Music Festival, Steve Bailey, piano Nov 9 2010, Sacramento Festival of New American Music, Steve Bailey, piano Jan 28 2011, San Francisco CA, Old First Church, Steve Bailey, piano (posted recording)
Text: Carpe Luna by Lisa DeSiro
After practicing self-perfection — my mind alone, my fingers, my arms, my body creating the only sound in the world for hours — I left the room, scuffed down empty halls to a door, pushed myself out into sudden silence.
And there was the moon, gleaming, round as a snowball, frozen amid shallow drifts of cloud. I reached up tall as the night sky, grabbed that moon and melted it with my bare hands.
Title: The Cat and the MoonArtist: Liam Wade0 plays
From “Silver Apples” World Premiere: Jan 24 2009, San Francisco - New American Chamber Music Program II Ann Moss, soprano; Steve Bailey, piano
Repeat Performances: Mar 7 2009, Edinburg TX, New American Chamber Music, Cheryl Cellon, piano Apr 26 2009, San Jose, SFBay NACUSA, Cheryl Cellon, piano Nov 6 2010, Fresno CA, Fresno New Music Festival, Steve Bailey, piano Nov 9 2010, Sacramento Festival of New American Music, Steve Bailey, piano Jan 28 2011, San Francisco CA, Old First Church, Steve Bailey, piano (posted recording)
Text: The Cat And The Moon, by William Butler Yeats
The cat went here and there And the moon spun round like a top, And the nearest kin of the moon, The creeping cat, looked up. Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon, For, wander and wail as he would, The pure cold light in the sky Troubled his animal blood. Minnaloushe runs in the grass Lifting his delicate feet. Do you dance, Minnaloushe, do you dance? When two close kindred meet, What better than call a dance? Maybe the moon may learn, Tired of that courtly fashion, A new dance turn. Minnaloushe creeps through the grass From moonlit place to place, The sacred moon overhead Has taken a new phase. Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils Will pass from change to change, And that from round to crescent, From crescent to round they range? Minnaloushe creeps through the grass Alone, important and wise, And lifts to the changing moon His changing eyes.
From “Silver Apples” World Premiere: Jan 24 2009, San Francisco - New American Chamber Music Program II Ann Moss, soprano; Steve Bailey, piano
Repeat Performances: Mar 7 2009, Edinburg TX, New American Chamber Music, Cheryl Cellon, piano Apr 26 2009, San Jose, SFBay NACUSA, Cheryl Cellon, piano Nov 6 2010, Fresno CA, Fresno New Music Festival, Steve Bailey, piano Nov 9 2010, Sacramento Festival of New American Music, Steve Bailey, piano Jan 28 2011, San Francisco CA, Old First Church, Steve Bailey, piano (posted recording)
Text: Eldorado, by Edgar Allan Poe
Gaily bedight, A gallant night In sunshine and in shadow, Had journeyed long, Singing a song, In search of El Dorado.
But he grew old — This knight so bold — And — o’er his heart a shadow Fell as he found No spot of ground That looked like El Dorado.
And, as his strength Failed him at length, He met a pilgrim shadow — “Shadow,” said he, “Where can it be — This land of El Dorado?”
“Over the Mountains Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride,” The shade replied — “If you seek for El Dorado.”
From “Silver Apples” World Premiere: Jan 24 2009, San Francisco - New American Chamber Music Program II Ann Moss, soprano; Steve Bailey, piano
Repeat Performances: Mar 7 2009, Edinburg TX, New American Chamber Music, Cheryl Cellon, piano Apr 26 2009, San Jose, SFBay NACUSA, Cheryl Cellon, piano Nov 6 2010, Fresno CA, Fresno New Music Festival, Steve Bailey, piano Nov 9 2010, Sacramento Festival of New American Music, Steve Bailey, piano Jan 28 2011, San Francisco CA, Old First Church, Steve Bailey, piano (posted recording)
Text: The Moon, by Robert Louis Stevenson
The moon has a face like the clock in the hall; She shines on thieves on the garden wall, On streets and fields and harbour quays, And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.
The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse, The howling dog by the door of the house, The bat that lies in bed at noon, All love to be out by the light of the moon.
But all of the things that belong to the day Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way; And flowers and children close their eyes Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.
Title: Overheard on a SaltmarshArtist: Miriam Miller0 plays
From “Beautiful Things” World Premiere: Nov 6 2010, Fresno CA, Fresno New Music Festival Ann Moss, soprano; Steve Bailey, piano
Repeat Performances: Nov 9 2010, Sacramento Festival of New American Music Jan 28 2011, San Francisco CA, Old First Church (posted recording)
Text: Overheard on a Saltmarsh, by Harold Monro
Nymph, nymph, what are your beads?
Green glass, goblin. Why do you stare at them?
Give them me.
No.
Give them me. Give them me.
No.
Then I will howl all night in the reeds, Lie in the mud and howl for them.
Goblin, Why do you love them so?
They are better than stars or water, Better than voices of winds that sing, Better than any man’s fair daughter, Your green glass beads on a silver ring.
Hush, I stole them out of the moon.
Give me your beads, I want them.
I will howl in a deep lagoon For your green glass beads, I love them so. Give them me. Give them me.
Roses by Sarah Wald, student at 2011 CSU Summer Arts Composer/Performer Collaboration Workshop.
Premiered by Ann Moss and Joungmin Sur at CSU Fresno Concert Hall, July 8 2011
Text: Roses, by George Eliot
You love the roses - so do I. I wish They sky would rain down roses, as they rain From off the shaken bush. Why will it not? Then all the valley would be pink and white And soft to tread on. They would fall as light As feathers, smelling sweet; and it would be Like sleeping and like waking, all at once!
Title: The Going (Seven Songs)Artist: Vartan Aghababian2 plays
The Going is the second movement of Seven Songs for soprano and string quartet by Dr. Vartan Aghababian. Dr. Aghababian is a co-founder of CMASH, and a member of the Theory and Composition faculty at Longy School of Music, South Shore Conservatory, Winchester Community Music School, and Boston University College of Fine Arts. Seven Songs is composed on texts by English poet Wilfrid Wilson Gibson. The cycle was co-conceived by Moss and Aghababian in October, 2002, when both collaborators were candidates for the Master of Music Degree at Longy. Excerpts of the cycle received performances on the collaborators’ respective graduate recitals, with the premiere taking place at Pickman Hall in February 2003 with the Auvergne String Quartet. A repeat performance took place at San Francisco Conservatory of Music in January, 2008 with the Yeager String Quartet.
The recorded performance posted here took place on June 12, 2011 at Pickman Hall with Edward Wu and Matthew Liebendorfer, violins; Lisa Kempskie, viola; and Philip Moss, cello.
Text: The Going, by Wilfred Gibson
(This poem was written on Gibson’s first learning of his good friend Rupert Brooke’s death, and was dedicated to Brooke.)
He’s gone. I do not understand. I only know That as he turned to go And waved his hand, In his young eyes a sudden glory shone: And I was dazzled with a sunset glow, And he was gone.
Title: Ramblings of a Social NetworkArtist: Composer Carlos Gamboa10 plays
Ramblings of a Social Network by Carlos Gamboa, student at 2011 CSU Summer Arts Composer/Performer Collaboration Workshop. Texts are drawn from Facebook status updates by workshop participants.
Premiered by Ann Moss and Guy Livingston at CSU Fresno Concert Hall, July 8 2011
Texts:
i. Fruit Fly - Elisa Moles
A fruit fly committed suicide on my spaghetti sauce. Argh! Poor bugger.
ii. Forever Alone - Kristen Krikorian
You know how in yearbooks people vote most likely to be - “Most likely to become the president” and stuff? Well, for the first time, I actually won one. I was voted most likely to be forever alone.
iii. R2-D2 - Ashlea Sheridan
I had a dream that I adopted a parrot! And he had a message to deliver much like R2-D2 in A New Hope! What the hell do they put in Theraflu?!
iv. Football Game - Dr. Kenneth Froelich
I understand there is a football game (maybe futbol?) or something along those lines going on right now. Based upon the sheer amount of media covering this game I guess I should care about it… Except I don’t. Not one bit! Does that make me anti-American? Anti-football? Anti-Wisconsin/Pennsylvania? Or something entirely different? I’ve put too much thought into this.
Dear Friends and Colleagues, Please join me this Wednesday evening at Cosumnes River College Recital Hall for a program of new music for soprano, piano, electric guitar, and more! This concert is the culmination of a seven week residency I participated in with the CRC Composers’ Club, hosted by Kurt Erickson (Pianist, Music Faculty) at Cosumnes River College. During the first week of the residency, I presented a lecture/recital covering a range of topics in composition for solo voice; Kurt and I also performed examples of contemporary Art Song, 18th and 19th century Lieder. The students then selected, or in some cases wrote a text, decided on instrumentation, and set about composing their pieces.
Two weeks ago we gathered on Skype to work-shop each student’s first draft; they took the following week to complete revisions, leaving Kurt and me a week to practice and rehearse the music.
These are new works, fresh off the presses, and like all prototypes they’re a little rough around the edges. But what the evening may lack in polished refinement will be more than made up for by a unique opportunity to be part of the compositional process. Much like that age old question about a tree falling in the woods, without an attentive audience to witness it, a work of music’s existence is … questionable.
So take a chance - come complete the collaborative loop by witnessing the results of our creative process!
CONCERT DETAILS: Cosumnes River College Composers’ Club: An Evening of Original Compositions Ann Moss - Soprano, Guest Artist & Kurt Erickson - Piano, Music Faculty with Members of the CRCCC Wednesday, October 19, 7:30pm Cosumnes River College Recital Hall 8401 Center Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95823
Title: Still TickingArtist: Composer Christian Guebert0 plays
Still Ticking by Christian Guebert, student at 2011 CSU Summer Arts Composer/Performer Collaboration Workshop. Text is a fragment from “Blue Pastures” by Mary Oliver Premiered by Ann Moss and Joungmin Sur at CSU Fresno Concert Hall, July 8 2011
Collaboration Yields More Than the Sum of Its Parts: I arrived at the 2008 California State University Summer Arts Composer-Performer Workshop prepared to lecture on the vocal apparatus, explore various eras and genres of vocal repertoire, and offer tips on collaborating with singers, an oft misunderstood breed of musician.
I could not have prepared myself for the fervent enthusiasm of the student composers, their inspired questions, fascinating perspectives, and intriguing musical concepts. Nor did I predict that substantial works of music would emerge from our short time together. Collaboration yields more than the sum of its parts. Here is one fine example:
A couple days before our final culmination concert, Matthew O’Malley asked me for a text recommendation. I handed him Shakespeare’s Sonnet VIII, “Music to hear,” knowing it could be a tricky assignment. But the sonnet is a favorite of mine and I felt its sentiment would suit Matt’s musical aesthetic. The next day he brought a draft. His text-setting was rhythmically impeccable, the piano textures sublime, but the vocal line needed tweaks to interval leaps and vowel placement. A final score came the following day, and I set about learning it. I knew I liked it right away – it was lovely. But what struck me was how thoughtfully the poem was set; it was hard to imagine he hadn’t taken weeks to write it! The piece flowed organically: Matt was relaxed and up to date with his treatment of an old-fashioned poetic form, and he clearly respected the natural music of the language and the poem’s formal structure. To my surprise and delight, the sonnet revealed itself to me even more deeply through the course of preparing Matt’s setting.
Matt has since arranged Music to hear for soprano and string quartet, and composed a companion setting of Caliban’s Dream Speech from The Tempest, which opened our concert program at the Sacramento and Fresno New Music Festivals last season.
Title: Music to HearArtist: Matthew O'Malley0 plays
Ann Moss, Soprano; The Picasso String Quartet Recorded live at Christ Church Lutheran, San Francisco, 2010 by Rubato Recording
Text: Sonnet #8 by William Shakespeare
Music to hear, why hear’st thou music sadly? Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy: Why lov’st thou that which thou receiv’st not gladly, Or else receiv’st with pleasure thine annoy? If the true concord of well-tuned sounds, By unions married, do offend thine ear, They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear. Mark how one string, sweet husband to another, Strikes each in each by mutual ordering; Resembling sire and child and happy mother, Who, all in one, one pleasing note do sing: Whose speechless song being many, seeming one, Sings this to thee: ‘Thou single wilt prove none.’
Here’s a short film I did at CSU Summer Arts with animator Vlad Kulchitskiy. Yet another composition about food!
… a little smidget about how the score came together:
First of all, Vlad is a wonderful animator and super easy to collaborate with. I came up with the high classical piano stuff for the 3D scenes pretty much on the spot, and Vlad suggested that death metal would be a nice contrast for the 2D what’s going on inside her head stuff. Luckily, I had my guitar with me at Summer Arts! Ann Moss came in and offered her talents on the death metal vocals (its actually her burping and I put some satanic sounding fx on her to make it sound all sinister-like). The little burp at the end with nofx was Ann’s idea. What a gas!
CMASH is a New Music repertory group committed to establishing and nurturing long-term collaborative relationships between composers and performers. Founded in 2008, CMASH promotes New Music in America by building community among artists and listeners, and engaging in educational outreach programs and workshops. www.cmashmusic.org
We look forward to sharing our music, thoughts, and collaborative process with you.
