Three Songs from 'Unremembered' (2015)

Songs
1. The Guest (4'45")
2. The Swan (4')
3. The Witch (6'30")

Songs can be rented and performed individually.


Note
These three songs come from Unremembered, an hour-long, thirteen-movement song cycle inspired by poems and illustrations by writer and visual artist, Nathaniel Bellows. A meditation on memory, innocence, and the haunted grandeur of the natural world, Unremembered recalls strange and beautiful happenings experienced during a childhood in rural Massachusetts: a houseguest takes sudden leave in the middle of the night; a boy makes a shocking discovery on a riverbank; a girl disappears in woods behind a ranging farm; ghosts appear with messages for the living. The cycle explores the ways in which beguiling events in early life can resonate in — and prepare us for — the subtler horrors that lie beyond the realm of childhood.

These arrangements were commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra. The female vocalist should have a wide range (E3-Bb6); otherwise two different vocalists (mezzo and soprano) may be preferred. Vocalist is supported by three pre-recorded vocal parts woven into the electronics, which are live-triggered by laptop. Alternatively these supporting vocal parts can be performed live by three female vocalists. Using the pre-recorded backing tracks necessitates the use of a click track in performance. Please see Unremembered tech rider for more information.