By Cruel Hands the Sapling Drops (2017)

aria for mezzo-soprano, flute, marimba, violin, viola, and cello

Duration: 3:30

Premiered by Nicole Boysen (mezzo-soprano) and the University of Delaware Opera Workshop Ensemble.

Semi-finalist (the full opera) in the opera/theater/film/dance student division of The American Prize in Composition.

Note:

This aria was composed as a contribution to the opera Waulking in the Glen, which was written by a composer collective from the University of Delaware, and placed in the semi-finals of the opera/theater/film/dance student division of The American Prize in Composition. The opera was premiered on April 14, 2018 on a specialized stage and set built for the performance. All the sung text in the opera is by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. The numbers are strung together to weave a story about a group of women who create clothing material by “waulking” the cloth rhythmically to songs. This aria is sung by the character Morag, an elderly woman and leader of the group who mourns the death of her beloved.