Three Dreams in April
A song cycle for mezzo-soprano, piano, and triangle based on three dreams I had chronologically in April 2024.
4 min • Composed 2024 • Purchase: score & partsComposer’s notes
“Three Dreams in April” is a song cycle based on three dreams I had chronologically in April 2024. Night after night, I’d wake up with vivid scenes and landscapes fresh in my mind, and instantly I’d write them down — as I do most of my dreams. It wasn’t my first rodeo when it comes to vivid dreams, but they all evoked such emotion as I slept that I’d wake up with a sense of unease, my heart pounding in alarm, or in one case, tears streaming down my face. April 2024 had been tumultuous for many reasons, but during such a busy season, I was unable to spend time to process my emotions. My theory is that my brain channeled the stress in a creative way to allow me to process it subconsciously. My body was determined to heal, even if it manifested in the form of strange, emotionally-charged dreams — the character of which I attempted to capture in this song cycle.
Lyrics
Text from Lauren Biggs' poem, "Three Dreams in April."
I. grass and sun and me
quiet
peace and quiet
and grass and sun and me.
this world is vast. the sun does not set. valleys and plains stretch endlessly toward the horizon.
where have all the people gone?
where have all the people gone?
oh, the godless caresses of wind gather my limbs like a pile of leaves, and set me adrift.
after time… passing time…
quiet
peace and quiet
and grass and sun and me.
after years, after centuries — i find an empty house nestled in the valleys.
if you’re in any state as me, you should stay away.
stay away.
where have all the people gone?
where have all the people gone?
Perusal score
