'of grasses which awaken' explores the world of wild grass stems growing on the sea cliffs on the Pembrokeshire coast - for string orchestra

de l'herbe qui s'eveille

Performed by Bournville Young Singers' Junior Choir with Liz Johnson (piano) conducted by Anne Ellis. Written as part of the Adopt-a-composer scheme, this is the first of 5 Moon Maps for young voices. The words are a list of the craters and mountains on the moon.

Moon Incantations: Moon Map 1 - Craters and Mountains

3 female voices weave together using the Fibonacci Sequence, inspired by Hildegard of Bingen. Sung by Alison Sabedoria, Liz Johnson and Heather Wastie. Inspired by working with Prof Ian Stewart at Warwick University who showed us the magic of the Golden Section as part of the Strange and Charmed project funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The text takes fragments from Hildegard's O Vos Felices Radices.

O Vos

A bit different from my other tracks... a live recording from 2002 at the old Adrian Boult Hall of this Jazz-Cuban fusion on Ide Osun, the Yoruba song to the goddess Osun. Arranged and performed by Liz Johnson. Studio version also available on Lekan Bebelola's 'Songs of Icon' album.

Song Of Oshun - Live

Inspired by David Hart's poetry from 'Crag Inspector': 
'I have had ferns smoothing my way and holding me back, 
shale has rolled me into the ocean almost.' Composed in 2011.

Almost

Yoruba river goddess Osun dances - sax solo with sax octet and percussion. Osun (or Oshun) is the deity of the river and fresh water, luxury and pleasure, sexuality and fertility, beauty and love.

Orisha Osun

Rhinoceros - a poem by Jo Shapcott from Her Book. US soprano Caroline Kouma and Rhys Burgess perform, written specially for Caroline as part of a cabaret set - quite different from Liz Johnson's other Jo Shapcott Settings Elephant Woman, Pig, Watching Medusa and Cabbage Dreams....

Rhinoceros - Liz Johnson / Jo Shapcott

Wild Man Dances for 2 Pianos earthy, visceral, playful, loud.

Wild Man Dances

A mysterious world unfolds in a magical garden...






BCMG conducted by Pierre André Valade

des branches du jardin

Roderick Williams baritone and Simon Lepper piano perform live

Wee Wifey (Roddy Williams)

O how sweet are Thy words unto my mouth...

O Quam Dulcis (excerpt)

3 studies of British arachnids: Silver Swimmer, the tiny air-born Araneomorph Aeronaught, and finally the beautiful diamond-backed Diadem. Played live on Tenor, Descant and Treble recorders by Louise Phillips.

Araneis: Studies of British Spiders

Four fragments inspired by Kathleen Jamie's poem 'Sky-burial' summoning up spirits of the air '..sail the day-blue iris of sky...twin hawks spiral the stair of their airy tower...'

Iris Of Sky

"Joy for this babe. 
His birth is for shepherds or kings, 
poor or rich, young or old. 
Hope for this babe. 
He brings new life to a world that is weary and cold. 
Prayers for this babe. 
He will need them and use them to circle his life as he grows. 
Tears for this babe. 
He waits in the womb while Herod and massacres loom. 
Still the world says 'No room'. 
Love for this babe: 
born of us, God with us, now for us: 
Praise for this babe! 
Love for this babe." 
Words by Marian Paulson, music by Liz Dilnot Johnson

For this Babe

Two contemplative reflections from the Cello Suite: Reflections of an Eccentric English Artist, selected for Dane Hurst's choreography during lockdown in April 2020.

lizdilnotjohnson

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