Phoebe (2019)

For female voice, about 3:40, range A3-F5. On a poem by the composer recounting a remarkable experience with an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) in December of 2019. An particularly tame (and probably very hungry) individual followed me as I was raking leaves on the driveway, jumping down to the ground to snatch edible morsels that I had uncovered, eventually landing on the rake itself for a better view. This scenario was repeated the next day in the front yard, with the bird eventually landing - briefly - on my head. The piano opens with a gesture mimicking the Phoebe’s call, which recurs through the song; much of the music is a sequence of brief gestures in a once-upon-a-time sort manner. $5 for score and demo; order here.

The actual bird…