Choral de Bêtes ~ SATB choir ~ poems by Carmen Bernos de Gasztold

Theme & Variations ~ orchestra

Nature Revisited ~ soprano & piano ~ poems by Jay Parini

excerpt 1

excerpt 2

excerpt 3

excerpt 4

This collection of poems is a series of prayers offered by the animals of God’s Kingdom.  As each animal contemplates the trials and joys they face in life, they reveal strengths and weaknesses to which we, as human beings, can discover a surprising connection.

Prière du Lion (Prayer of the Lion)

Prière de l’Agneau (Prayer of the Lamb)

Prière de la Baleine(Prayer of the Whale)

Prière de la Gazelle

(Prayer of the Gazelle)

Rain Before Nightfall

Stars Falling

Lake House in Autumn

Who Owns the Land?

In the first song of the cycle, Rain Before Nightfall, the performers are encouraged to add their personal reflections on the beautiful imagery of Parini’s poem through their interpretation of the rhythm.




The gentle, continuously flowing piano accompaniment in Stars Falling was inspired by the vast, swirling view of a clear night sky.






Lake House in Autumn is a peaceful, melancholy meditation on the changing of the seasons.





In the final song, Who Owns the Land?, the issue of environmental responsibility is approached through the eyes of three animals. Each of the animals offers a satirical response to the question, “Who owns the land?” which ultimately reflects on our own unwillingness to take care of the Earth.





Using the words of Vermont poet Jay Parini, I have composed a cycle that I hope will evoke impressions of New England.