EvenStar (Version 3)

A Lullaby for Mezzo Soprano, Cello, & Percussion

Drawing its inspiration and title from Edgar Allan Poe's poem "Evening Star," EvenStar is a lullaby for mezzo soprano, cello, and keyboard percussion (or piano) that tugs at the heart strings with its bittersweet harmonies and soaring, lyrical melodies.

Program Notes

EvenStar draws its inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Evening Star.” I set out to compose a lullaby for euphonium, tuba, & keyboard percussion so I naturally approached the piece as if I was writing for the human voice. The original melodies found throughout the euphonium & tuba align perfectly with the words for Poe’s poem.

'Evening Star' by Edgar Allan Poe
'Twas noontide of summer,
And mid-time of night;
And stars, in their orbits,
Shone pale, thro' the light
Of the brighter, cold moon,
'Mid planets her slaves,
Herself in the Heavens,
Her beam on the waves.

I gazed awhile
On her cold smile;
Too cold – too cold for me –
There pass'd, as a shroud,
A fleecy cloud,
And I turned away to thee,
Proud Evening Star,
In thy glory afar,
And dearer thy beam shall be;

For joy to my heart
Is the proud part
Thou bearest in Heaven at night,
And more I admire
Thy distant fire,
Than that colder,
That lowly light.

EvenStar received its world premiere at the 2014 International Tuba and Euphonium Conference at Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 with Dr. Brian Meixner (euphonium), Dr. Dennis AsKew (tuba), and Dr. Nathan Daughtrey (percussion).

The work is available in two other versions:
Version 2 – euphonium, tuba, and piano (Item #21152)
Version 3 – mezzo soprano, cello, and keyboard percussion or piano (Item #21153)

Grade Level: 3
Copyright: 2014
Number of Players: 3-4
Duration: 6:30

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Instrumentation

Mezzo Soprano
Cello
Keyboard Percussion (2 octaves Crotales, Vibraphone, 5-octave Marimba)*
Optional Piano (replaces percussion)

*To decrease the difficulty level, two individual percussion parts (Vibraphone and Crotales/Marimba) are also included, thus turning the piece into a quartet. Bells may be substituted for the Crotales in this version.