after songs: seven nocturnes for clarinet
music by Cecil Price Walden
poetry by Michael McFee

i. surely
ii. before the bulldozers
iii. after song
iv. second teenhood
v. bruises
vi. appalachia
vii. please

Michael Rowlett, clarinet
Michael McFee, reader
premiere performance 4/3/25
Nutt Auditorium, Oxford, MS

https://pricewalden.com/after-songs

after songs - vii. please

after songs - ii. before the bulldozers

after songs - v. bruises

I asked my husband to name this song and he said White Rose. I asked why? Cause it sounded so beautiful cause the way they blossomed by their loathsome selves that they signified independence and rebirth to a bigger world they've never seen before.

White Rose

“3 a.m. Nightingale” begins the four movements of Pears on a Sill with a melancholic lyricism. It is one of the few tracks that doesn’t have a specific reference-across-time, although I can’t help think of some of the murmurings near the end as being touched by Debussy. 

3 a.m. Nightingale from Pears on a Sill (for solo piano)

I began writing this piece when encouraged by a friend to recycle the material thrown
away from the Ballade in F Minor that I submitted for my second-year portfolio. The
piece pays homage to Chopin, drawing inspiration from his Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2,
particularly the left-hand pattern, which is a prominent feature of the piece. I was also
inspired by Mozart’s Piano Quintet in E flat Major K. 452, with the simplicit beauty of descending scales over arpeggios.

The piece portrays a sombre night—the moon obscured by grey clouds. Through its
perpetual motion, the music suggests our own stillness as we observe the world revolving
around us. What begins as cold and bitter gradually transforms into optimism and purity
as the music shifts, altering our perception of the night. We learn to appreciate the
night’s beauty, disregard its bleakness, and look toward the future with hope. Suddenly,
the clouds part, revealing the magnificent star-studded sky above—a moment both joyous
and sublime.

Nocturne Hommage à Chopin

Stream

Vengeance

Nocturne No.1

sidereal emanations, spirits in the forest.

Ghost of a Star (excerpt / wip)

Amapiano Délice Lumzy KleinBeats Pop Nocturne Vibe Kabza Chill Rap Dreamy Solo Home Summer Planant House Love Song R&B Dance Dance Pop French Snippet 2025 Lyon New Fresh Original

Délice (Prod. Klein Beats)

Cecil Price Walden (b. 1991) is a composer and pianist based in Oxford, MS.

My music is deeply embedded within the European tradition and a respect for the works of the past, and reflects that particular Western musical notion of individual expression and voice.  At its most basic, my music can be identified as stemming from French ideals.  I favor rhythmic fluidity, relish shifting textures and moods, and prize instrumental color.  Although clearly linear, there is an emphasis on rich, resonant harmonies and a careful attention to harmonic rhythm and transposition.  I am interested in structures that are clear, yet ephemeral, and accent the unpredictable without neglecting continuity.  Titles of my works are reflective of this approach and suggest a narrative or evoke a state of being.  As a teacher, I have found that my distinct aesthetic stance benefits students greatly, since it allows for an exchange of ideas against the backdrop of a particular set of values.  In addition, accomplished musicians who have performed my work, have done so repeatedly, attesting to its staying power.

Silence in the language of God, all else is poor translation.

I'm a composer and pianist with a passion for creativity and a diverse musical background, spanning Classical, Romantic, through Modern styles.

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