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Eat, Pray, Love on May 21st
Composer's Notes
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Eat, Pray, Love Banner  

Spanning centuries, cultures, and styles, the diverse program of 

EAT, PRAY, LOVE: Give Voice to Your Passionis sure to satisfy every palate. Highlights include Irving Fine's comical setting of an Alice in Wonderland text about "beautiful soup," a lilting folk song about Ireland's most famous traditional dish, Rebecca Clarke's soaring Ave Maria, a sweet love duet by Gabriel Faur�, a rousing spiritual in the gospel style, and Nathan Christensen's jazzy setting of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's How Do I Love Thee?.

 

The OCWC is especially excited to present the world premiere of its annual commissioned work, When Music Sounds, Sharon Farber's setting of a poem by Walter de la Mare. Farber, who has written music for film, orchestra, and dance, will give a preview of her work and answer questions from the audience at 6:30 p.m. Read more about the piece below. 

 

The program also features the talented soloists of the OCWC singing songs in styles ranging from classical to cabaret. 



We can't wait to share EAT, PRAY, LOVE with you 
on May 21st. 

 

Saturday, May 21, 2011 � 7:00 p.m.

St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church,

18631 Chapel Lane, Huntington Beach 

map  

 

 

Adults: $20; Students and seniors (65+): $15

Notes from the Composer of When Music Sounds

Sharon

 

Award winning composer Sharon Farber, originally from Israel, has received critical acclaim as a composer in the concert world as well as film and TV. She brings to her music influences from her Middle Eastern heritage as well as her extensive knowledge of Classical and Western music. 

 

What inspired the piece?

When Music Sounds by Walter De La Mare was commissioned by the Orange County Women's Chorus with the generous help of two of its members: sisters Janet Bratton and Kathy Baldasari. The piece is dedicated to the memory of their late mother, for whom music had a special place in life. I looked for a text that would reflect this love, as well as portray the beauty and inspiration that music brings. When I came across the poem When Music Sounds, the words rendered a unique character; they created an unusual atmosphere--serene and eerie, with a deep undertone and meaning. I was inspired to create that ambiance through the power of music and the expressiveness of the human voice. 

 

What has the process of writing the piece looked like?                                                                                      

When starting a piece, I first read and re-read the lyrics in order to understand what the poet was trying to convey. Of course, we are all different and what a certain poem inspires in me might inspire a completely different mood in another. I start with a main motif which will be presented throughout the piece-this is the muse, the first glimpse of inspiration that fashions the rest of the work. After that, it's a combination of my emotions as an artist with the skills I have acquired throughout my years as composer. The development of the motif, the fusion of the voices, harmony, rhythm and melody: all these elements form the essence of the work. The process might be extremely fast at times, and slow and painful at others. Finally, when I have nothing more to say, the piece is complete and ready for the next stage-the performance. This is the most exciting part-to hear the written music brought to life after contemplating every note and detail for a long while! 


What mood or tone are you trying to create and how?

The exquisite feelings that music gives us. In this poem, music brings about serenity, calm, magic, enchantment, and even water and Naiads! I loved that tranquility and eccentricity, and I tried to create the same mood through unusual harmonies and mixture of rhythms and counterpoint. The gentle opening of the piano represents the flowing of water and continues to accompany the voices throughout the piece, enhancing the complexity and expressiveness of the harmonies. In addition, the fact that the piece is sung by women only gave me the opportunity to explore its beauty even more, as there is something so pure and expressive in a woman's voice-the creation of life.

 

How do the music and lyrics relate to each other?

Text has an extreme power to inspire music. In choral music or art songs, as well as other mediums using text, the relationship between the two elements is inseparable. A composer who sets text to music has to love and relate to it in order to create an honest and personal work. The poem has to seep through her or his veins and be one with the soul and inner most sacred feelings. Only then can a composer be truly inspired to set the lyrics to music.

 

Anything else you would like to add to help us understand the piece?

One of the sentences that spoke to me most in this poem is When music sounds, all that I was I am. I feel that this simple phrase expresses what I so often experience-it has a deep sense of truth and sincerity. I hope I was able to portray my own love of music in this piece, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Pat Morgan, without whom this piece wouldn't exist, Janet and Kathy for their support, and Eliza Rubenstein and the Orange County Women's Chorus for bringing When Music Sounds to life.

Volunteers Needed! 

The success of our concerts depends upon having volunteers to support all the important logistical details and behind-the-scenes work so that our singers may concentrate on bringing you extraordinary music. If you would like to join our volunteer auxiliary to help at the Eat, Pray, Love concert, contact our Board member responsible for volunteer coordination, Janet Brattonor visit the Volunteer page of our website.

Wine, Women, and Song!

 

Thanks for joining us at Wine, Women, and Song! The well-attended event raised over $5,000 for the Orange County Women's Chorus. Guests enjoyed wine, fine cheeses, cupcakes, and other goodies as they listened to solos, duets, and quartets sing everything from jazz standards to Stevie Wonder and Etta James classics to popular Broadway hits. Be sure to watch for more special events to attend next season!

wws 

The Orange County Women's Chorus
Eliza Rubenstein, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
1 Mansfield Drive, Irvine, California 92620
(949) 451-8590
www.ocwomenschorus.org