Spotlight on Elizabeth Alexander & Martha Hill Duncan

Uncovering the profound in the ordinary, with help from the catalogs of

Elizabeth Alexander / Seafarer Press

&

Martha Hill Duncan

A Love Like That: Songs of Unconditional Love (medium voice)
by Elizabeth Alexander
Medium voice, piano; also High voice and Low voice
Difficulty 3 | Duration: 20-30 min.
Six songs exploring different faces of unconditional love. Drawn from moments both ordinary and profound — a child’s nap, a solitary walk, deep grief, an awareness of nature’s bounty — these open-hearted settings unfold with immediacy and grace.

Two newly available individual movements:

Sleep Song (medium voice), by Elizabeth Alexander
Medium voice, piano; also High voice and Low voice
Difficulty 3 | Duration: 3-5 min.
This delicate, contemplative setting of an intimate poem by Ann Silsbee invites performers and listeners into a space of thoughtful reflection.

I’ll Tell You a Story, then… (medium voice), by Elizabeth Alexander
Medium voice, piano; also High voice and Low voice
Difficulty 3 | Duration: 5-10 min.
A mysterious scent leads to a discovery about being fully human.

A Child’s Prayer at Evening, by Martha Hill Duncan
Voice, piano
Difficulty 2 | Duration: less than 3 min.
With its contemporary starlit mood, singable vocal lines and just a bit of Latin, “A Child’s Prayer at Evening” is a real winner with teachers and young singers alike.

One More Redeemer, by Elizabeth Alexander
SATB a cappella
Difficulty 2 | Duration: less than 3 min.
A warm-hearted affirmation of the divine spark in each child.

Be Quiet, Wind, by Martha Hill Duncan
Soprano, alto, piano
Difficulty 3 | Duration: less than 3 min.
Both alto and soprano voices (either a duet or a choir) are beautifully and equally showcased in this unique duet which mimics the sound of wind chimes blowing in the wind.

Beware the Winter Settlin’ In (Full Score), by Elizabeth Alexander
SATB, opt. children’s choir, flute, bodhrán, violin, piano (Full score; Choral score)
Difficulty 3 | Duration: 3-5 min.
This whirl of midwinter merrymaking welcomes the weary stranger while cautioning us to keep winter’s chill out of our hearts.

Give Me a Laundry List (and I’ll set it to music), by Elizabeth Alexander
SATB a cappella
Difficulty 3 | Duration: 3-5 min.
This musical spin cycle will leave your audience in stitches, offering even the most clothes-minded loads and loads of fun.

Rainfall, by Martha Hill Duncan
Voice, piano
Difficulty 3 | Duration: less than 3 min.
A vocal line that whips and whirls and a relentless “raindrop” piano accompaniment.

Roadside Flowers, by Martha Hill Duncan
Two sopranos, piano
Difficulty 3 | Duration: less than 3 min.
With lyrical melody lines, free-spirited accompaniment and beautiful text, this duet is a real winner with singers of all ages and development.

Songs of Tekahionwake, by Martha Hill Duncan
I. Lullaby of the Iroquois – SSA, hand drum, piano
II. Lady Icicle – SSSSAA a cappella; available separately as art song (voice, piano)
Difficulty 3 | Duration: 5-10 min.
Two pieces celebrating the natural wonder of Canada with text by Canadian poets.

Reviewers have described the music of Elizabeth Alexander (Seafarer Press) as “brilliantly innovative” (New York Concert Review), “truly inspired” (Boston Intelligencer) and “stunning…exquisite…sculpting light into sound” (Kansas City Metropolis). Elizabeth’s many commissions have included works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, solo instruments and voice, but she is best known for her choral pieces, which have been performed by thousands of choruses worldwide. She lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she reads voraciously, makes pretty good biscuits, looks for all kinds of excuses to visit her two grown sons, and gardens during the three month period in Minnesota which is not winter.

Martha Hill Duncan is an award-winning composer of both vocal and piano works. Her ongoing collaborations with performers, poets, and visual artists have led to many new works, including piano and vocal solos which appear in music educational syllabi and publications. Her Graphite collection features many art songs at lower difficulties – perfect for developing voices and solo coaching!  She lives in Kingston, Ontario with her husband Martin and has two grown children and two granddaughters.

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Service, Craft and Heart: 20 Years of Graphite
Watch the interview or read the highlights. Big thanks to Dale Trumbore for helping us tell the full story!