The Red Wheelbarrow
Publisher Desc.
Composers Note: "The Red Wheelbarrow," an innovative
environmental/imagist poem I first read as a teenager, struck me as an
alluring and joyful means to immerse in a commission by Austin's Inversion
Ensemble for their Planet Home project. The score blossomed during a
fellowship at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, a pastoral setting
that nurtured embracing the poem's vivid landscape. The piano provides a
repeating foundation over which the choir playfully evokes the spare text,
using variations of the initial theme throughout. There is a contemplative
moment midway, then the pulse resumes, concluding with a gleeful repetition
of the last line.
"The Red Wheelbarrow is a wonderfully approachable and fun piece of
music. The singers of Inversion had a blast working through the rhythmic lilt
and subtly beautiful harmonies, so often found in Rich Campbell's music. The
clever musical interpretation brought out the wry humor of the text, which
helped to set a relaxed atmosphere for the rest of our concert. It was
exactly the opener we needed!"
-Trevor F. Shaw
Artistic Director, Inversion Ensemble
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