The last song from Chausson's Septe melodies.  Recorded live, 11-04-2012 with Nickolas Harris, tenor, & Matt Yount, piano.

Translation:
Green hummingbird, the king of the hills
Seeing the dew and the bright sun,
Glow in the woven herbal nest
Like a ray escapes into the fresh air.

He hastens and flies to neighboring sources
Where bamboos are the sound of the sea,
Where the red Asoka smells divine
Opens and (the) door to the Heart (a) humid lightning.

To the golden flower, it descends, arises
And drinks so much love in the rosy cup --
He dies, not knowing if he was dry!

On your pure lips, O my beloved,
Such as my soul had wanted to die,
From the first kiss which had perfumed it.

Le Colibri

Le Soir by Ambroise Thomas.  Recorded live on 11-04-2012 with Nickolas Harris, tenor & Matt Yount, piano.

Translation:
Burning earth
Expected dew
Falling from the sky!
The heat subsides,
We breathe freely,
The bird sings better.

The dark foliage
Overshadows
The Happy Lovers
And a star
Through her ​​veil,
Speaks to love,
More than one star
Speak to love.

Le Soir

Vaghissima sembianza by Stephano Donaudy.  Recorded live on 11-04-2012 with Nickolas Harris, tenor & Matt Yount, piano.

Translation:
 Very charming image of a woman formerly loved,
 who, then, has portrayed you with so much similarity
 that I look, and I speak, and I believe to have you
 before me as in the beautiful days of love?
 
 The dear remembrance which has been awakened
 in my heart so ardently has revived my hopes,
 so that a kiss, a vow, a cry of love?
 more I do not ask of her who is silent forever.

Vaghissima sembianza

Yellow Butterfly in April by Hugo Wolf.  Recorded live on 11-04-2012 with Nickolas Harris, tenor and Matt Yount, piano.

Translation:
Cruel spring sun,
you wake me before my time;
my delicate food does not flourish
until the bliss of May!
If there is no dear girl here
to offer me a droplet of honey
from her rosy lips,
then I must perish miserably,
and May will never see me
in my yellow attire.

Zitronenfalter im April

Written by Robert Schumann.  Recorded live on 11-04-2012 with Nickolas Harris, tenor & Matt Yount, piano.

Translation:

 Your face so lovable and fair:
 I saw it recently in a dream.
 It is so mild and angelic,
 and yet so pale, so pale with pain!

 And only your lips are red;
 but soon Death will kiss them pale.
 Out will go the heavenly light
 that reflects out from your innocent eyes.

Dein Angesicht

"Death and the Maiden" by Franz Schubert.  Recorded live on 11-04-2012 with Nickolas Harris, tenor & Matt Yount, piano.

Translation:

 Your face so lovable and fair:
 I saw it recently in a dream.
 It is so mild and angelic,
 and yet so pale, so pale with pain!

 And only your lips are red;
 but soon Death will kiss them pale.
 Out will go the heavenly light
 that reflects out from your innocent eyes.

Der tod und das madchen

Autumn Evening by Roger Quilter.  Recorded live on 11-04-2012 with Nickolas Harris, tenor & Matt Yount, piano.



Autumn Evening

Written during a very dark period of my life.  The day I wrote the lyrics, Zack Matthews improvised a guitar line and I improvised the vocals -- all in one take.  An "ok" recording -- but a great experience.

Gray and Blue

Nickolas Harris is from Leadwood, MO and currently resides in Cape Girardeau, MO.  Harris is studying at Southeast Missouri State University where he has been a featured tenor soloist in opera productions, masses, art song recitals, event music, and more.

Nickolas Harris

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