James Barry

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SONGS OF ISSA (1999) for soprano and piano

	PROGRAM NOTE
	Songs of Issa (1999). Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827) was the best loved of the Japanese Haiku poets. Generally speaking, his prose reflects two themes: tragedy and nature. In composing the cycle I tried to capture the simple character or meaning inherent in each poem: the off and on of a firefly's light, the heavy burden of loosing a child, the slow movement of a snail, and the grieving over the loss of a mother.

	LISTEN to MP3 The Firefly \| Dew \| The Snail \| Deep Dark Sea Barbara Clements, soprano & Jason Smith, piano	LOOK at PDF Dew score sample

	AWARDS
	« Winner, The Chicago Ensemble 'Discover America IV' Composition Contest « Finalist, Auros New Music Composition Competition

	PERFORMANCE HISTORY
	« Premiered August 17, 1999, CASMI Workshop, Dohnanyi Recital Hall, Tallahassee, FL Julie Gickling, soprano & Joanna Sobkowski, piano « March 22, 2000, UT Austin, Recital Hall, Austin, TX Jennifer Needham, soprano & Leonard Mark Lewis, piano « April 7, 2000, Ruta Maya Coffee House, Austin, TX Jennifer Needham, soprano & Leonard Mark Lewis, piano « February 3, 2001, FSU Festival of New Music, Dohnanyi Recital Hall, Tallahassee, FL Barbara Clements, soprano & Trey Cox, piano « June 20, 2001, Music 2001, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Werner Recital Hall, Valerie Kraft, soprano & Jeremy Rafal, piano « February 16, 2003, Chicago, IL, International House, The Chicago Ensemble Sharon Quatrin, soprano & Gerald Rizzer, piano « February 18, 2003, Chicago, IL, Three Arts Club, The Chicago Ensemble Sharon Quatrin, soprano & Gerald Rizzer, piano « April 11th, 2003, Tallahassee, FL, Opperman Music Hall Barbara Clements, soprano & Jason Smith, piano « April 29, 2006, Del Mar College School of Music, Wolfe Recital Hall, Corpus Christi, TX Cynthia Longoria, soprano & David Sutanto, piano

	TEXT
	Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827) THE FIREFLY The first firefly… But he got away And I… Air in my fingers. DEW Dew evaporates And all our world is dear So dear, so fresh, so fleeting. THE SNAIL O summer snail You climb, But slowly, slowly To the mountains summit. DEEP DARK SEA Mother lost, long gone… At the deep dark sea, I stare… At the deep dark sea.

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	SONGS OF ISSA Copyright © 1999 by James Barry (ASCAP)