Works for Vocal Chamber Ensemble

(click the title of any piece for more information)

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Blessings: Five Poems of James Wright (2000) tenor, piano 15'

Text: James Wright, from Above the River: the Complete Poems, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Commissioned by The Schubert Club.

Premiere—2000, by Vern Sutton and Sonja Thompson, Mpls., MN.

By Heart (2000) soprano, harp 18'

Text: Louise Bogan, from The Blue Estuaries, Poems 1923-1968, published by The Ecco Press.

Commissioned by The Schubert Club.

Premiere—2002, by Maria Jette and Judith Kogan, International Harp Congress, Geneva, Switzerland.

Published by Fatrock Ink.

Canticle of the Sun (2000) soprano and organ 12'

Commissioned by the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Premiere—2000, by Elizabeth Pauly and James Biery, Saint Paul, MN.

Published by MorningStar Music (contact info)

Clarissa Graceful (2005), soprano, ensemble 13'

Soprano, recorder, oboe, violin, bassoon, harpsichord

Text: Alexander Pope, from The Rape of the Lock, V (1717)

Commissioned by Karen Clift.

Premiere—2005, by Karen Clift and the Blue Baroque Band, Sheridan, WY.

Come to the Waters (1991, 2005) soprano, piano 7'

Text: Isaiah 55, v. 1, 2, 10-13, King James Version

Premiere—1993, by Karen Clift and John Churchwell, Saint Paul, MN.

Divine Images (1989-2008) solo voice, piano 27'

Text: William Blake, from Songs of Innocence and of Experience

Published by Classical Vocal Reprints

Du bist die Ruh (1998) medium voice, piano 3'

Text: Friedrich Rückert, in English translation by composer.

Premiere—1998, by Maria Jette and Sonja Thompson, at the Ordway McKnight Theater, Saint Paul, MN.

Du bist die Zukunft (2005) medium voice, piano 3'

Text: Reiner Maria Rilke, from Stundenbuch (The Book of Hours) II, 22

Commissioned by the American Composers Forum in honor of Hella Mears Hueg.

Premiere—2005, by Jake Endres and Thelma Hunter, Saint Paul, MN.

Ein Gebet (2003) tenor, piano 4'

Text: Reiner Maria Rilke, from Stundenbuch (The Book of Hours) I

Commissioned by Paul Riedesel.

Epiphanies (2010) high voice, piano 2'30"

Text: Kate Martin, OSC

Commissioned by Doug and Krista Westendorp.

Grace and Stir: Three Poems of A. D. Hope (1989, 2003) high voice, piano 9'

Text: A. D. Hope, Collected Poems, 1930-1970 (Angus & Robertson).

Premiere—1990, by Karen Clift and Barbara Brooks, Minneapolis, MN.

Great Blue (1997) soprano, clarinet, piano 9'

Text: Carolyn Kizer, "The Great Blue Heron," from Mermaids in the Basement (Copper Canyon Press).

Commissioned by The Commission Project.

Premiere—2003, by Karen Clift, Burt Hara and Thelma Hunter, Saint Paul, MN.

Heard in a Violent Ward (1990) Cycle of seven songs for baritone, piano 23'

Text: poems and letters by John Clare

Premiere—1993, by Larry Weller and John Churchwell, Saint Paul, MN.

In the Country of Baseball (1998) high voice, piano 12'

Text: Donald Hall, from Fathers Playing Catch With Sons (North Point Press)

Commissioned by Carol Eikum.

Premiere—1998, by Carol Eikum and the composer, Saint Paul, MN.

Infant Song/On the Morning of Christ's Nativity (1980) tenor, organ 4'

Text: Edward MacDonald (alternate text for On the Morning of Christ's Nativity: Milton)

Commissioned by Kurt R. Hansen

Premiere—1980, by Kurt R. Hansen, Omaha, NE

The King of Love (2009) medium voice, piano 4'

Text: Poem by Sir Henry W. Baker (1863), based on Psalm 23.

Commissioned by Kathleen and Mark Humphrey in honor of Bernhard and Irene Wegner on their 68th wedding anniversary.

Lonely Hearts (2009) Cycle of 9 songs for soprano, baritone, piano 22'

Text: Poems by Wendy Cope.

Premiere—2008, by Sara Williamson Kantor, Lawrence Weller and Claudia Chen, Minneapolis, MN.

Love be not a bellringer (1996) medium voice, piano 6'

Text: Geoffrey Mazullo

Premiere—1997, by Allison Charney, Claudia Chen, Doylestown, PA.

Moonlight on a Midnight Stream: A Romantic Entertainment (1994) vocal quartet and piano 30'

Texts: Byron, P. B. Shelley, Mary Shelley, E. J. Trelawny

Commissioned by The Schubert Club and Vern & Phyllis Sutton.

Premiere—1995, by Jean Del Santo, soprano; Glenda Maurice, mezzo-soprano; Clifton Ware, tenor; Lawrence Weller, baritone; Margo Garrett, piano, Mpls., MN.

O, Waly Waly (1989, rev. 2003) high voice, piano 4'

Free arrangement of the folk song.

On the Morning of Christ's Nativity (1980) high voice, organ 5'

Text: John Milton, from On the Morning of Christs Nativity (1629)

Commissioned by Kurt R. Hansen

Premiere—1980 by Kurt Hansen and Grigg Fountain, Evanston, IL.

Petals fallen from the moon (2003) high voice unaccompanied 10'

Commissioned by Maria Jette.

Premiere—2006 by by Maria Jette.

Seasons of the Spirit (2008) 2 sopranos and mezzo soprano, string trio (violin, viola, cello), organ 26'

Text: Delores Dufner, OSB

Commissioned by Pastiche, on behalf of the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, Minn.

Premiere—2008, by Pastiche, St. John's University, Collegeville, Minn.

A Song for Saint Cecilia's Day (1991, 2005) 3 sopranos, string quartet, harpsichord 22'

Text: John Dryden (1687)

Premiere—1993, by Maria Jette, Mary Therese Royal de Martinez and Karen Clift, sopranos; Barbara Weiss, harpsichord; Laurie Weiss and David Hays, violins; Romona Merritt, viola, Arek Tesarczyk, cello, Saint Paul, MN.

Songs of the Trobairitz (1988, 2006) soprano, English horn, violin 12'

Text: 12th c. women troubadours in English translation by Meg Bogin, from The Women Troubadours, Norton & Norton, 1980.

Premiere—1990, by Janet Walker, Jane Berger and Gerhard Veith, Augsburg, Germany.

To Live in This World (2002) soprano and string quartet 13'

Text: Mary Oliver

Commissioned by Music in the Vineyards in loving memory of Gail Adams.

Premiere—2002, by Karen Clift, Dawn Harms and Frank Almond, violins; Michael Adams, viola; Beth Rapier, cello, Calistoga, CA

Two Spirituals (1995) high or low voice, piano 7'

Text and tune: Traditional ("Deep River"/"Steal Away")

Commissioned by Karen Clift.

Premiere—1995, by Karen Clift and John Churchwell, Minneapolis, MN.

When thou, my music, music play'st (2004) medium voice, piano 3'

Text: Shakespeare, Sonnet 128

Commissioned by Rebecca Lindholm.

While All the World Made Merry: 3 Poems by Charles Causley (1995) high voice, piano 9'

Text from Charles Causley: Collected Poems 1951-1975 (David R. Godine)

Commissioned by The Schubert Club.

Premiere—1995, by Dorothy Maddison and Anne Nagell, Saint Paul, MN.

The Wings of the Morning (2003) medium voice, piano 4'

Text: Psalm 139, King James Version

Commissioned by Rebecca Lindholm.

A Wreath (1985) high voice, organ or piano 3'

Text: George Herbert

Premiere—1985, by Kurt R. Hansen and Grigg Fountain, Evanston, IL.

Published in American Art Song for the Sacred Service, Classical Vocal Reprints (CVR 3834) www.classicalvocalrep.com.