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20010

2006-06-25: NACUSA Concert    

NACUSA Concert - performing Carol's work
NACUSA Concert - Program Cover
NACUSA Concert - Carol Worthey, Malesha Jesse, David Clemensen

The National Association of Composers USA (NACUSA) Los Angeles Chapter presented a Recital of New Vocal Music by members of NACUSA at the Culver City Presbyterian Church in Culver City. Featured performers on this concert included:
          Keiko Clark - soprano,
          Malesha Jessie - mezzo-soprano and
          Jenni Brandon - mezzo-soprano.
The piano accompanists included:
         James Woodward,
         David Clemensen,
         Deon Price and
          David Zea.

Carol Worthey's song "the wind has blown the rain away and blown" from the song cycle
"the petal of somewhere", words by E. E. Cummings, music by Carol Worthey was premiered.

Here is what Carol has to say about this work:

   "The day after JFK was assassinated, I tearfully opened a poetry book to this exact poem and immediately began to sing. I took the melody to Vincent Persichetti who encouraged me to compose an unaccompanied song cycle using the piquant words of his favorite poet. In 1995 and 2003 I fleshed out the songs with piano, quite a compositional challenge. In this song the piano creates a surge of wind to echo the wailing vocal, with jazz-infused punctuations that reflect a 'beat poetry' feel. In 2004 'the petal of somewhere' cycle was a Finalist in the International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM) 'Search for New Music', Miriam Gideon Prize."

Featured also were the works of other NACUSA composers: The Earth Remembers by Howard Quilling, Poem by Nancy Edwards; So Let Me Seem from Mignon by Matthew Hetz, Poem by Goethe; Melancholy Moon by Bonnie Ruth Janofsky, Lyrics by Mitchell Glaser; listen, beloved by David S. Lefkowitz, Poems by E. E. Cummings; Echoes by David Zea,; 'Tis Time, I think, by Wenlock Town by David Zea, Poem by A. E. Housman; Selections from Cartoonland by Deon Nielsen Price; Songs for Unity by Dwight Banks, Text by Abdu'l Baha'; A Reflection by David MacMurray, Poem by Robert Nathan; Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by David MacMurray, Poem by Robert Frost; Two Songs by James Woodward, Poems by Edgar Allen Poe; 2 Love Songs from Eight by Emily by Margaret Meier, Poems by Emily Dickinson; Imperceptible by Jenni Brandon, Poems translated by Kenneth Rexroth; and Two Songs by Adrienne Albert, Poems by Jenny Joseph.

Jeannie Pool captured her impressions of Carol's work in a review entitled Art Song is Alive and Well in Los Angeles for Composer USA, Vol. 12, No.3 where she stated:

   "Carol Worthey's composing of A wind has blown the rain away and blown, based on an e.e. cummings' poem, began the day after JFK's assassination as an unaccompanied solo song, and continued in 1995 and 2003. The cycle from which this song comes, 'the petal of somewhere,' was a finalist in the IAWM 'Search for New Music,' Miriam Gideon Prize in 2004. The song was beautifully sung by Malesha Jessie, accompanied by Clemensen, capturing the avant garde jazz feel of 'beat' poetry. Worthey captures the surge of the wind with the wailing vocal lines and repeated jazz-infused figure in the piano, and thereby captures a moment in time."

For those of you who were unable to attend, here is a recording of Carol's song as sung by mezzo-soprano Malesha Jessie with David Clemensen, pianist:

There was an excellent turn-out for the concert. Carol's work was well received by the audience and the other composers who were present. A reception immediately followed the concert where performers, composers and audience had the opportunity to exchange views.

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