The levels of difficulty are from 1
(easy) to 5 (difficult). Each piece bears a number. A title bearing an
asterisk indicates that a recording is available upon request.
*THE BURNING BUSH (baritone
voice & piano) is an art song based on Exodus chapters four and
five from the Holy Bible. The performer must play the role of God and
the role of Moses. The duration of the song is about 10:30, therefore,
can be used as a contemporary offering on a vocal recital. This song
requires advanced performers. The work that must go into the
preparation of this composition will be worthwhile; audiences have
found this song to be fascinating. #5
*DEDICATION (bass-baritone & organ) is an art song that is quite versatile. The text is from the Song of Ruth in the Holy Bible. The vocalist sings within a meter of 5/4 while the organist plays within a meter of 10/8. The cross rhythms provide a spell binding effect upon the listener. This work is from the wedding scene of Wallace De Pue’s opera, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. #5
*THREE SONGS OF SEPARATION (folk song arrangements for tenor voice/piano or baritone voice/ piano) Each song is part of a trilogy portraying separation from either a lover, an acquaintance or a son.
Over
Yondro is a song of separation between a man and his lover. In
the song, he tells her about how things should be until he returns. The
original folksong text is usually sung by a woman to her man and is part
of the musical legacy from Civil War times. #2
Mr. Rabbit is a song of separation between a man and his animal acquaintance. The man has never seen such a creature as a rabbit, so he engages it in conversation without being aware that rabbits do not talk. (The rabbit does not tell him otherwise!) The man is fascinated with the physical characteristics of the rabbit and comments on several of them, quite politely, of course, even though he, the man, feels somehow superior. The rabbit has encountered man before and offers a number of reasons why he, the rabbit, should be on his way without delay. This is a too seldom heard Negro folk song. #3
Johnny Has Gone for A Soldier is quite famous in folk literature stemming from the Revolutionary War. Wallace De Pue imagines it as a song of separation between a father and his son. The father tells of his son's departure and how the boy was prepared to be sent to war. The father's anguish concerning his son's fate should be apparent at the end of the song. #4
*THREE DIABOLICAL SONGS (tenor & piano) is based on three of the most pitiful characters found in the Holy Bible: Cain, Haman and Saul. The first murderer, Cain is tormented by the Lord’s question, "Cain, where is thy brother, Abel?" to the point that his mind is never at peace. Haman, the jeering, sadistic statesman from the book of Esther, jests with Mordecai about a "big surprise" that will be given to the Jews. He hints that it is like the letter L, but upside down. Saul is being comforted by his subject, David as the latter plays the harp. As Saul listens, he imagines himself as his harpist, David. Saul’s tremendous jealousy can hardly be contained within him. The songs present a tour de force of drama. #5
RAYMOND’S PSALM is based on a text by Ray Cogan, a folk poet. When Wallace De Pue met the 85 year old poet, Raymond was in the final three months of his life, living alone with terminal cancer. Because of the composer’s admiration for the poet, this song was presented to Raymond as a gift meant to assure the poet that his work would find its way into people’s hearts. #1
*EIGHT TEXTURES OF LOVE consists of eight award winnings poems about love that are set to Twenty-first Century compositional techniques to create an art song for voice and piano. There are two versions of the piece, one for soprano and one for baritone. This work was premiered at the Bowling Green State University 1994 New Music Festival by Dr. Deborah Kavasch, soprano, and Dr. Mark Munson, pianist. It was heard on national radio stations.
*POOLE’S LAMENT is from the
final act of Wallace De Pue’s grand opera, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
The Robert Louis Stevenson story ends with Poole, the butler,
discovering the changing corpse of the hideous Mr. Hyde turning into Dr.
Henry Jekyll shortly after Mr. Hyde has imbibed poison. This aria
portrays the gentle Mr. Poole struggling to keep his sanity as he
beholds something his eyes can hardly believe. He begs the awaiting
servants not to set eyes on what is tugging at his soul. The music was
originally set for orchestra. Now there is a version for tenor and piano.
DON’T CRY! is an arrangement of a "chart" written by Herb Kallman, a musically gifted but uneducated musician. His words and music express his feelings about being in his mid-eighties, legally blind, losing his wife and being kept out of her will. The text is a reflection of his Christian faith and his melody is simple, straightforward and beautiful. The arrangement by Wallace De Pue is for treble voice and piano. It is appropriate for use in any Christian service of worship. #1
*NO LAMENT is a song for
piano and treble voice (tenor or soprano) that uses a beautiful
anonymous poem concerning life after death.