Text by Edward Thomas
for Pierrot Ensemble (fl., cl., vln., vc., pno.) and soprano

http://www.bryanlinmusic.com/adlestrop.html

Performance by Natalie Image, soprano; Jina Park, flute; Lotte Leussink, clarinet; Julia Suh, violin; Erik Haasler, cello; Michael Delfin, piano; Edward Hong, conductor

Edward Thomas' poem Adlestrop recounts a train ride the author takes through the countryside of England that makes an unexpected stop. The opening stanzas eerily depict the emptiness of the train station, where he only sees the sign that says "Adlestrop." Despite the stillness, he is quick to appreciate the surrounding beauty. This poem is an expression of his love affair with nature and to a moment passed.
 
I tried to capture the feeling of solitude the poem first evokes with a hexachord that vaguely implies Eb diminished. The piece deviates from this harmony in various interjections and dramatic moments to portray Thomas' observation of the world beyond the train station; we eventually modulate to E minor, further detaching from the original tonality. As Thomas reflects on the lone blackbird in harmony with all the birds far away, I sought to fuse the harmonic material of the preceding sections to capture this reflective state in a closing recapitulation.

ADLESTROP

Yes. I remember Adlestrop--
The name, because one afternoon
Of heat the express-train drew up there
Unwontedly. It was late June. 

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.
No one left and no one came
On the bare platform. What I saw
Was Adlestrop—only the name 

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,
And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,
No whit less still and lonely fair
Than the high cloudlets in the sky. 

And for that minute a blackbird sang
Close by, and round him, mistier,
Farther and farther, all the birds
Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
          -Edward Thomas

Adlestrop

Written for and performed by Matthew Readdick for the SFCM Viola Project X, December 14, 2015

For more info, visit http://www.bryanlinmusic.com/adagio-for-solo-viola.html

Adagio

Reading by Ogni Suono (http://www.ognisuono.com/)
Phil Pierick, soprano sax
Noa Even, tenor sax

http://www.bryanlinmusic.com/hustle.html

Hustle - for saxophone duo

Commissioned and performed by Timothy Mar, cello
March 28, 2016 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music

For more info, visit http://www.bryanlinmusic.com/4-on-5.html

4 on 5

Performance by the San Francisco Choral Artists; Magen Solomon, conductor
May 1, 2016 on the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Biennial Choral Composition

For more info, visit http://www.bryanlinmusic.com/ave-maria.html

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

English Translation:
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

Ave Maria - for SATB choir

Performance from my graduate composition recital
Lazuli Quartet - Yuqian Zhang, Joseph Christianson, violin; Justine Preston, viola; Evan Kahn, cello
with Luke Fatora, Joseph Gray, violin; Elizabeth Boardman, viola; Ernesto Cabezas, cello
Bryan Lin, conductor
April 22, 2017 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music

For more info, visit http://www.bryanlinmusic.com/airflow.html

Airflow - for double string quartet

Performance from my graduate composition recital
April 22, 2017 at San Francisco Conservatory of Music

For more info, visit http://www.bryanlinmusic.com/velvet-shoes.html

Text:
from “Still Colors”

Let us walk in the white snow
In a soundless space;
With footsteps quiet and slow,
At a tranquil pace,
Under veils of white lace.

I shall go shod in silk,
And you in wool,
White as white cow's milk,
More beautiful
Than the breast of a gull.
 
We shall walk through the still town
In a windless peace;
We shall step upon white down,
Upon silver fleece,
Upon softer than these.
 
We shall walk in velvet shoes:
Wherever we go
Silence will fall like dews
On white silence below.
We shall walk in the snow.

     - Elinor Wylie (1920)

Velvet Shoes - for SATB choir

Performance by the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco, Zane Fiala, director
3rd place winner in 2016 Composer Competition
May 13, 2017, Freshly Squeezed Concert Series

For more info, visit http://www.bryanlinmusic.com/strings-in-the-earth-and-air.html

Text:
from “Chamber Music”

I.
Strings in the earth and air
Make music sweet;
Strings by the river where
The willows meet.
 
There's music along the river
For Love wanders there,
Pale flowers on his mantle,
Dark leaves on his hair.
 
All softly playing,
With head to the music bent,
And fingers straying
Upon an instrument.
     - James Joyce (1907)

Strings in the earth and air - for SATB choir

Performance and recording by Choral Chameleon; Vince Peterson, director
June 30, 2017, in Brooklyn, NY

For more info, visit www.bryanlinmusic.com/i-miss-you.html

Text:
A: I miss you. All the time.
B: I have never met a more sad person than you. Ever.
A: I want my Jamie Oliver cookbook back.
--
It's been a year. Leave me alone.
--
A: Are you up?
B: Unsubscribe
--
A: Hey
B: Go away
A: I just think we need to talk about some things
B: We broke up 7 months ago so no, we don't
A: You still have my Sonicare® though
--
A: You're a real dick, and no, that's not a drunk text
A: I lied, that was a definitely a drunk text. My bad.
--
I don't want to be reminded of your tiny dick anymore but that doesn't stop you from sending me random dick pics whenever you get drunk off two shots of vodka you fucking cunt punch
--
Hope you never get married and die alone!
--
A: I called
B: I watched it ring

I miss you - for SATB choir

Naomi Columna, soprano
Seung Jeon, flute
Davis Hampton, bass clarinet

Premiered at Naomi Columna's Graduate Voice Recital, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, May 15, 2019

Bryan Lin - composer

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