Cycle of Friends
for soprano solo, chorus and chamber orchestra (25')“…exceptionally beautiful on many counts.”
— Chestnut Hill Local, Philadelphia
Completed and premiered in 1996, Cycle of Friends is my first large-scale work and possibly still my favorite. It is a lush, emotional journey through five texts taken from such diverse sources as Tang Dynasty poetry of China, Sappho and Emily Dickinson, each dealing in its own way with the universal theme of friendship.
The piece is described in depth with an audio tour of each movement in this article celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the piece in 2016.
Instrumentation: Soprano solo; SSAATTBB Chorus (c. 50 members?); Chamber Orchestra (1,1,1,1 1 hn, 1 tpt, hp, perc, strings)
Duration: 5 movements; 25 minutes
Praise for Cycle of Friends
“…an all-too-rare combination of beautiful texts and refreshing, invigorating music.”
—Johannes Somary, Conductor
“…exceptionally beautiful on many counts.”
—Michael Caruso, Chestnut Hill Local
“…enchanting!”
—Wes Kenney, Conductor
“…subtle and fragrant – beautifully scored for both orchestra and chorus.”
—John Corigliano, Composer
“…some of the most luminous writing for soprano and orchestra since Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915.”
—Mark Adamo, Composer
“…wonderful musical textures and colors…”
—Morris J. Beachy, Conductor