Alone (2008) by Ryan Spencer

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Alone (2008), for SSATB Choir, by composer Ryan Spencer

Program Notes:

"This piece was written to fulfill the commission for the University of Colorado at Boulder Undergraduate Composition Prize. It is based on and set to Edgar Allan Poe's poem of the same title. In choosing the text for the poem, I was looking for something of the right length and language (I wanted to set English text), and I began browsing my favorite poets, Poe being among the highest on the list. I found Alone and resonated personally with the content of the poem, and also enjoy its moody and somewhat cryptic tone, something which I attempted to exemplify in the music. The poem's text follows:

From childhood's hour I have not been
As other were—I have not seen
As others saw—I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I lov'd, I lov'd alone.
Then—in my childhood—in the dawn
Of a most stormy life—was drawn
From ev'ry depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that 'round me roll'd
In its autumn tint of gold—
From the lightning in the sky
As it pass'd me flying by—
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view."

Alone was commissioned by the University of Colorado as part of the 2007 Undergraduate Composition Prize.

Performers featured:
Collegiate Chorale
Alexandra Allen, Jessica Amend, Aaron Benavides, Morgan Black, Tricia Cannava, Courtney Chapman, Gigi Cotton, Katherine Donahue, Amanda Gronau, Attila Éltetö, Kevin Flake, Janay Hagen, Taylor Hamill, Chris Harding, David Haukeness, Dale Heidebrecht, Rian Jeffers, Ben Krudwig, Maureen LeVoir, Danielle Lilja, Chelsea Manning, Kendra Mensonides, Chrystal Morris, Jesse Nuzzi, Daniel Ondaro, Eric Pahlke, Andrew Pallissard, Bob Pomeroy, Alex Pretzer, Dustin Reed, Candace Rein, Nina Rice, Dustin Rumsey, Arin Russell, Alexa Sample, Ayesha Scott, Allison Smith, Carly Smith, Ryan Spencer, Lindsay Talbot, Katie Ulrich, Brian Visioli, Tristan Wolff, Julian Yeats, Jason Young

Matthew Potterton, conductor

Copyright 2008 Ryan Spencer.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Alone
• Edgar
• Allan
• Poe
• Ryan
• Spencer
• classical
• choir
• chorus
• chorale
• Pendulum
• New
• Music
• Boulder
• Colorado