On the surface, “A Light exists in Spring” captures Emily Dickinson’s feelings during an ephemeral experience of Nature—that particular light that is unique to early Spring.  But there is a wonderful depth in her writing, including insights about how Nature moves us to feel, the relationship between contentment and Nature, and our experience of the passing of the intangible.

My SATB choral setting of the poem uses a major second (a whole step) to represent the “Light”—such harmonies sound “bright” to our ears.  The opening of the piece is filled with this color, and the music at “A Color stands abroad” has harmonies rich with major seconds.  Interestingly, resolving this harmonic interval as a suspension produces a particular emotional response—I use this to evoke the line “But Human Nature feels” throughout the entire piece, as a major theme of the poem is our emotional response to the Light and how it colors everything we experience.  So too, these suspensions color the music... until “it passes and we stay.”

Dickinson hints, though, that the experience stays with us even through its loss—it is felt as an absence, affecting us yet again.  Being an optimist, however, I suggest that this loss—the mundane encroaching on the sacred—does not completely prevail: our memory of those mysteries persists.  Thus, my setting ends with a persistent hint of the Light—our memory of its impact on us.

Performed by the FM Singers.

A Light exists in Spring

A Light exists in Spring (F. 177)

Hine Ma Tov is a standard Hebrew text used in social gatherings. This setting merges the joy of singing a folk song socially with the awe of experiencing the presence of God. While designed primarily as a concert piece, there is also a version comprising of just the tune (F. 163t) that is freely available for social gatherings.

The original version of Hine Ma Tov for SATB and Piano (F. 163a) was Commissioned by Gaithersburg Community Chorus in Celebration of their 25th Anniversary. Premiered May 18, 19, & 21, 2013 by Gaithersburg Community Chorus, Gaithersburg, Maryland; Hugh Harvey, director.

This track is from the Byrd Ensemble’s “Stories: Unaccompanied choral music of Christopher Lee Fraley” CD. See www.FraleyMusic.com/music/recordings/stories-recording/ for more details.

(Image based on CC BY photograph by Amos Gil.)

Stories

Hine ma tov

Hine ma tov (Byrd Ensemble, full version) (F. 163c)

Fraley’s The Plains is an unaccompanied SATB choral setting of Adela Florence Nicolson’s poem by the same name. It is part of a cycle of choral pieces entitled India’s Love Lyrics that includes Golden Stars (F. 150), Wistful Wind (F. 152), The Plains (F. 154), Lost Delight (F. 157), Famine Song (F. 164), and Reminiscence (F. 166).

This track is from the Byrd Ensemble’s “Stories: Unaccompanied choral music of Christopher Lee Fraley” CD. See www.FraleyMusic.com/music/recordings/stories-recording/ for more details.

The Plains

The Plains (Byrd Ensemble) (F. 154)

Tennyson's famous lullaby, Sweet and Low, sung by FM Singers' sopranos and altos.  Lovely, singable melody with a piano accompaniment that mimics the rolling waters of the sea and the inner emotional turmoil of the mother singing to her child.

FraleyMusic.com

Wind of the Western Sea (F. 142b)

Wind of the Western Sea (SA Piano, F. 142b)

This recording is the premiere performance of “Reminiscence” by the Cascadian Chorale, Gary D. Cannon directing, on 23-Apr-2017 at St. Thomas Episcopal, Medina, WA.

“Reminiscence” is based on Adela Florence Nicolson’s poem “Reminiscence of Mahomed Akram” from her book “India’s Love Lyrics”. It is a continuation of the cycle of (so far) six choral pieces that are based upon Nicolson’s poetry.

One of the very enjoyable aspects of composing choral and vocal music is coming across poetry that sparks an emotional response. My job then becomes understanding how the poem functions—how it uses imagery, plot, and structure to build its own world—and to breathe musical life into these elements.

“Reminiscence of Mahomed Akram” was one such poem about love lost, how beautiful things once shared become sources of pain and despair.  My lyric distills the poem to its essential imagery and plot.  Although there is an overt plot (daytime with flowers, sunset waving goodbye, lamenting the stars by night), what interests me the most is the emotional journey, and this trajectory is what I develop musically.

What strikes me about the poem is the dichotomy set up between the pleasant memories of the writer’s beloved and the pain caused by these memories. This dichotomy is illustrated musically: the opening theme (through ms. 17) reflects the emotions of tender memories—perhaps poignant but definitely not sad. Towards the end (ms. 15), a very slightly ominous tone is added. After a brief pause, the next theme enters (ms. 19), based on open fifths—a very “empty” feeling figure—reflecting the present despair of the poet, as if waking up from a happy reverie, jolted back to the harsh realities of the present. The start of this theme signifies the beginning of the narrative—the poet is now back in the present.

This dichotomy develops through the entire piece, building in emotional intensity until the end of the piece (“...yet what are the stars to me?”) which summarizes the narrator’s dilemma: beautiful things now spark emotions of despair, and such things are found everywhere, even the stars.  The music concludes by reflecting these final dying embers of happiness.

Other pieces in the choral cycle “India's Love Lyrics”  include: Golden Stars (F. 150), Wistful Wind (F. 152), The Plains (F. 154), Lost Delight (F. 157), Famine Song (F. 164), and Reminiscence (F. 166).

Reminiscence

Reminiscence (Cascadian Chorale, premiere) (F. 166)

“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” is based on the traditional text and on the “Picardy” hymn tune for SATB (a cappella) choir, and is suitable for concert choirs and church choirs.

This recording is the premiere performance from 13-Dec-2014 by Cascadian Chorale, Gary D. Cannon, director.  www.CascadianChorale.org

This setting retains the familiar tune, but the setting of each verse reinforces the character of the text.  Verse 1 begins austerely and quietly with with a soloist proclaiming “Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand”.  Verse 3 is about the  “rank-on-rank” of the heavenly host, and is set as a canon to convey the multitude of worshipers.  Verse 4 depicts the unfathomable host of heaven, and the setting uses thick harmonies with the melody augmented in the bass, ending with rousing “Alleluias!”

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Cascadian Chorale, premiere) (F. 165)

“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” is based on the traditional text and on the “Picardy” hymn tune for SATB (a cappella) choir, and is suitable for concert choirs and church choirs.

This performance is by the choir of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross (www.HolyCrossRedmond.org) from 7-Feb-2016, used as an anthem in the context of a church service.

This setting retains the familiar tune, but the setting of each verse reinforces the character of the text. Verse 1 begins austerely and quietly with with a soloist proclaiming “Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand”. Verse 3 is about the “rank-on-rank” of the heavenly host, and is set as a canon to convey the multitude of worshipers. Verse 4 depicts the unfathomable host of heaven, and the setting uses thick harmonies with the melody augmented in the bass, ending with rousing “Alleluias!”

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Holy Cross church choir) (F. 165)

Written in the style of a funeral dirge, Famine Song tells a story of disease, death, and love in late 19th century India. The lyrics are excepted from Adela Florence Nicolson’s poem of the same name from her book India’s Love Lyrics, and is a continuation of the cycle of choral pieces that includes Golden Stars (F. 150), Wistful Wind (F. 152), The Plains (F. 154), Lost Delight (F. 157), Famine Song (F. 164), and Reminiscence (F. 166).

This excerpt is from the Byrd Ensemble’s “Stories: Unaccompanied choral music of Christopher Lee Fraley” CD.  See www.FraleyMusic.com for more details.

Famine Song

Famine Song (Byrd Ensemble, excerpt) (F. 164)

Let Us Be Merry is a charming a cappella setting of William Billing’s Judea (from The Singing Master’s Assistant, published 1778 in Boston).  More commonly known as “A Virgin Unspotted”, the text retells the Christmas story.  (See www.FraleyMusic.com/music/choral/let-us-be-merry/ for more details.)

This performance is by Cascadian Chorale (directed by Gary D. Cannon) from 13-Dec-2014.  www.CascadianChorale.org

This piece was Commissioned by Gaithersburg Community Chorus in Celebration of their 25th Anniversary. Premiered December 8th & 9th, 2012 by Gaithersburg Community Chorus, Gaithersburg, Maryland, Hugh Harvey, director.

Let Us Be Merry

Let Us Be Merry (Cascadian Chorale) (F. 160)

Hine Ma Tov is a standard Hebrew text used in social gatherings.  This setting merges the joy of singing a folk song socially with the awe of expriencing the presence of God.  While designed primarily as a concert piece, there is also a version comprising of just the tune (F. 163t) that is freely available for social gatherings.

The original version of Hine Ma Tov for SATB and Piano (F. 163a) was Commissioned by Gaithersburg Community Chorus in Celebration of their 25th Anniversary. Premiered May 18, 19, & 21, 2013 by Gaithersburg Community Chorus, Gaithersburg, Maryland; Hugh Harvey, director.

This excerpt is from the Byrd Ensemble’s “Stories: Unaccompanied choral music of Christopher Lee Fraley” CD. See www.FraleyMusic.com for more details.

(Image based on CC BY photograph by Amos Gil.)

Hine Ma Tov

Hine Ma Tov (Byrd Ensemble, excerpt) (F. 163c)

Engaging Classical Music

The music you will find here is fun and engaging, all while preserving those aspects that make classical music deep: counterpoint, rich harmonies, instrumental palette, varied structures, and careful craftsmanship. I am a firm believer that sophisticated/deep/artful music can (and should) still be accessible. Crafting music that is both deep and accessible results in music that is engaging—from the first listening to the hundredth.

These aesthetics reflect my several loves in classical music. I love counterpoint, whether it is a Josquin madrigal, Mozart’s Requiem, or a Schubert piano trio. I love the broad structures composers create. For example, Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony starts with a movement that is almost 14 minutes long—nearly unheard of in popular music. I love the inventiveness of Haydn, the variety exemplified by Beethoven’s symphonies, the expressiveness of Mahler...

My love of this kind of music is what led me to composing. If you enjoy what you encounter on these pages, please drop me a line. But most of all, enjoy!

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