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Book Fred Springer for a groupmuse

Settings Across Centuries


Details

Fred Springer full profile / Soprano, Baritone, Guitar, Piano / 4 musicians

Other players: Kendra Comstock, Nathan Halbur, Ben Yee-Paulson


Full program notes

How does a composer bring poetic text to life with music? How do collaborations happen hundreds of years apart? This program explores various musical settings of poetic texts spanning over 800 years. From medieval melodies to modern musical settings, hear how composers capture a scene by combining words and music. Featuring works by Walther von der Vogelweide, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, William Shakespeare, Ralph Vaughan Williams, W.B. Yeats, and Ben Yee-Paulson.

Palästinalied… …Walther von der Vogelweide, 1170-1230 (arr. Halbur)
Kendra Comstock, Nathan Halbur, Fred Springer

Vogelweide, op. 186… …Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, 1895-1968
Nathan Halbur, Fred Springer

Three Shakespeare Songs
The Willow Song… …Anon. (<1616)
Arise!... …M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Seals of Love
Kendra Comstock, Fred Springer

The Deeps of my Heart… …Ben Yee-Paulson, b. 1994
Kendra Comstock, Ben Yee-Paulson

Full Fathom Five… …Ralph Vaughaun Williams, 1872-1958 (arr. Halbur)
Kendra Comstock, Nathan Halbur, Fred Springer, Ben Yee-Paulson


Historical context

This program explores the connections between poetry and music across almost a thousand years of human history. From medieval poetry and melodies of Walther von der Vogelweide to contemporary settings of poetry by W.B. Yeats and William Shakespeare, we aim to showcase how poets, composers, and musicians collaborate across time and space to bring art to life.


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