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 (mp3) The Firefly \| Dew \| The Snail \| Deep Dark Sea	LOOK (pdf) Dew
	Barbara Clements, soprano & Jason Smith, piano	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, Sharon Quatrin, soprano & Gerald Rizzer, piano The Chicago Ensemble
	• February 18, 2003, Chicago, IL, Three Arts Club, Sharon Quatrin, soprano & Gerald Rizzer, piano The Chicago Ensemble
	• 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

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	SONGS OF ISSA COPYRIGHT © 1999 BY JAMES BARRY (ASCAP)

	TEXT
	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.