Griffiths Songs (Griffiths)
Vocal: alto and violin
Griffiths Songs was composed between January and March 2004. It is a set of three songs, the texts for which were taken from the first book by the English poet Jane Griffiths. “The Skater” is a poem of contrasts–in particular the contrast between the bustle of the crowd and the stillness of nature. “Parallel Motion” contrasts the vertical motion of a grandfather clock ticking in an apartment (the gradual descent of the weight) with the horizontal motion of the river snaking through the town. “Metamorphosis” is a poem about the difficulty of relationship and intimacy. Griffiths Songs is dedicated to Ingeborg Danz and Peter Stein, who gave the first performance on April 30, 2004.