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From:  "Elizabeth Finkler" <mightymezzo@h...>
Date:  Wed Jul 31, 2002  7:26 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Re: New sacred solos for mezzos

>From: norma bowen <normasings2000@y...>
>'Jeffrey the Cat' is a contralto solo in one of Britten's work.
> arado_ge wrote:
>Since Karen is the Goddess of repertoire, she'll have much better
>suggestions than me but I just love contemporary music.
>
>Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols - I can't remember what the
>solos are in there because the last time I sang in a performance of
>it was 10 years ago!!
>
>Michael Tippet: A Child of our time - I love "steal away"!! Again,
>not sure if you'd find any good solos in there but it's such a
>beautiful piece.
>
>
FYI on a couple of these suggestions:

1) "For I will sing of my cat Geoffrey" is a soprano solo in "Rejoice in the
Lamb." I really don't think it works out of that context.

2) I sang in a performance of "A Child of Our Time" several years ago. I
don't remember any mezzo solos of significance, and the spirituals used in
it are all for chorus.

Now for some useful stuff:
Take a look at Samuel Barber. A couple of his "Hermit Songs" are suitable
for sacred settings. (I may even spring "The heavenly banquet" on the good
people of St. Luke's Episcopal one of these days.)

I've also found some good stuff in an excellent book of folk songs arranged
for solo singers. It's ummmm.... the yellow one with the Grandma Moses
painting on the cover. Songs inside include good arrangements of "Simple
Gifts" and "All My Trials."


Elizabeth Finkler
San Jose, California
mightymezzo@h...
http://home.earthlink.net/~mightymezzo

We all live in a place called "23 skiddoo." --John Prine


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