MUSIC OF WOMEN COMPOSERS AT MILLSAPS COLLEGE, OCTOBER 11, 2002

   Part of a 3 day symposium "Voices of Women in the Arts", this
particular program might more accurately have been titled "Music of
Four Living Women Composers". Two of the four - Augusta Read Thomas
and Judith Lang Zaimont - were present, and discussed their approach
to composition in a prerecital informance. The program opened with
Ruth Watson Henderson's "Cantate Domino" and "Come, Ye Makers of
Song", sung by the Mississippi Girlchoir, directed by Lillian Lee,
with Judy Foster, piano, and Bob Davidson, trumpet. These pieces
had a pleasing and relatively traditional sound, and were given an
excellent performance. Henderson's Chromatic Partita for organ,
played by Len Bobo, closed the program. These variations (I counted
6 or 7) had a more contemporary sound and showed the composer's
versatility and imagination, with a variety of settings of the theme.

   Katherine Hoover's Sound Bytes - 6 dialogues for two flutes -
were played in an appropriately playful manner by Sybil Cheesman
and Julie Maisel. Though not named in the program, I gave them
the following: I. Duet  II. Trill and Comments  III. Minimalisma
IV. Invention  V. Flutters and Tweaks  VI. Argument (or, to
paraphrase P.D.Q. Bach, Conversation Between Two Unfriendly Flutes).

   Augusta Read Thomas had two pieces on the program. The first,
"Among Dawn Flowers", was sung by Lester Senter Wilson, with Lynn
Raley, piano. It was simple, with an economical but full texture,
and included some hand-plucked notes from the piano. Thomas' second
piece, Spring Song for unaccompanied cello, was played by Alexander
Russakovsky; the music explored all the rouseources of the cello, and
included some chordal passages, even a hint of polyphony. Though not
programmatic, for some reason rain came to mind!

   Judith Lang Zaimont was represented by two basically vocal works
and one group of piano piecess. The first was entitled "From the Great
Land: Women's Song", with Lori Bade, mezzo soprano; Jan Grimes,
piano; and Stephen Cohen, clarinet and Eskimo drum. The music was
both sparse and stark, and well-suited to Frank Buske's text, which
detailed the hard life of Alaskan Eskimo women. For example, the 
opening deals with the old woman who has been put out on the ice
to die, because she can no longer contribute to the survival of
the group. Musically, the sound was generally dissonant, as
befitting the subject. The rhythm derived from the text, an
ancient practice, at least in Western music. Zaimont's versatility
was evident in the different ways she used the clarinet and piano.
Elizabeth Moak played Zaimont's "Reflective Rag" and "Judy's Rag"
(for piano). These were followed by "Nocturne - La fin de siecle"
and "July: The Glorious Fourth". The rags were a successful blending
of contemporary style with traditional form. They were composed
more than twenty years before the vocal pieces, and were highly
entertaining, as was The Glorious Fourth, which was glorious
indeed. Moak played with energy, enthusiasm, and accuracy, and
from memory. Zaimont's final piece, "Virgie Rainey - Two Narratives"
- was commissioned for this symposium by Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Wilson, Jr,
and this was its premier performance. The narratives were excerpted
from Eudora Welty's "The Golden Apples" and dealt with Virgie's solo
skinny-dipping and her days as a piano student. They were sung by
Cheryl Coker, soprano; Lester Senter Wilson, mezzo-soprano; with Lynn
Raley, piano. As in "Women's Song", the text dominated the rhythm,
and the style was similar, although perhaps a little more accessible.
I could follow the words easily without referring to the printed text,
except when the pitch rose too high. I would very much like to hear
this work again, both for the pleasure and for the new insights I am
certain would be gained. I think this work would be enhanced if there
were a visual track. There is certainly enough imagery here - as well
as in "Women's Song" - to provide material.

   Overall, this was an ambitious program in an ambitious symposium.
I thought it highly successful. The performers were all first
class - were I any of the composers I think I would have been well-
pleased. I only regret that I was not able to attend any of the other
events. Thanks and congratulations to Millsaps College for presenting
this.
                                            - Glenn A. Gentry