Strand Six

These songs are introspective, following the general contours of Mark Strand’s (1934-2014) poetry. Strand was a poet laureate of the Library of Congress in the 1980s, and I had the pleasure of hearing him read some of his poems while at the University of Iowa in 1982, where they made a lasting impression. From “The Coming of Light” to “Keeping Things Whole,” these poems move through time and light with grace and subtle emotion. They are set in the style of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Ten Blake Songs for Voice and Oboe, or his Along the Field, Eight Housman Songs for Voice and Violin. B-flat Clarinet parts included.