Songs & Cycles

"Always Here" is a song cycle that features texts by queer poets from over a century ago. The poems remind us that queer people have always existed, and that their experiences continue to shape our own.

1. The Kiss (Florence Kiper Frank, 1915)

2. Your Hands (Angelina Weld Grimké, 1927)

4. Episode (Winifred Bryher, 1920)

3. The Rushlight (Michael Mecredy, 1913)

Graham Yates is an award-winning Canadian composer and pianist based in Austin, Texas. He is regularly commissioned to write works for choirs, soloists, and chamber ensembles, with performances of his music across Canada and the United States. In addition to his composing, Graham is active as a collaborative pianist and co-founded CTC Music Publishing to champion new music by emerging composers. He holds degrees in Piano Performance and Nonprofit Management from Brandon University and Trinity Western University.