Work
Grief of a Girl's Heart
for chamber ensemble and soprano
About
Lyrics from an anonymous Irish poet (18th Century), translated from Irish by Lady Gregory and first published in her 'Kiltartan Poetry Book' in 1919.
In writing this song, I have attempted to create sounds that mirror the words of the poem and tell the sad but familiar story of a young woman abandoned by her lover. Key elements include the modal harmonies that would have prevailed when the original poem was written, the compound times of early dance music, and imagery of wild night-time landscape, fantastical promises, sultry love and above all, of a bleak desolation.
Performance history
12 Apr 2014: Performed by the Karlheinz Company (John Elmsly conductor) with Jennifer Maybee soprano at the Music Theatre, University of Auckland, 13 April 2014.