Four Songs for High Voice (B3-A#5) and Piano on poetry by Donna Henderson.  

These songs emerged from Donna's poems after several years of collaborations.  Setting poetry to music has been a favorite activity of mine, but with Donna's poems, the music seems to flow automatically for me. These songs, feature a broad range of styles from soft-swung jazz, to the theatrical and avant-garde reminiscent of mid-20th century expressions. While all of the songs flow together as a continuous piece, each can be performed on their own. 

1. It begins with plangent (atonal, jazz)

2. A piano played over a canyon (modal, minimalist)

3. A promise tenderly whispered, then (atonal, expressionist)

4. Ravenous later, the geese arrive (modal, jazz)

Durations: 1'50", 2'00", 1'10", 3'00"