Jenni Brandon’s “Sun Songs” performed by Barig Nalbantian, a German Soprano, and two colleagues at the German-American Institute, Tuebingen, DE. “Sun Songs” is part of a performance titled “On Being a Stranger” held on February 22-23, 2019 at 8:00 PM, on First Floor of the German-American Institute, Tuebingen, DE.

FremdSein (On Being A Stranger) Reloaded Are intimate and humorous reflections on assimilation with Barig Nalbantian and Penelope Pinson, d.a.i. Tübingen. What happens when two women, who left behind their two very different worlds in the United States, produce two acts of touching, sometimes amusing reflections on their 18-year assimilation in Germany? 15 years after the huge success of the original performance in 2003, Barig Nalbantian and Penny Pinson take another look at their FremdSein in Tübingen. FremdSein (On Being A Stranger) Reloaded Features music of Armenia, America and Germany Arranged and written by Barig Nalbantian, Soprano, Penelope Pinson, former Modern Dancer and Pianist Bert Klein.

Jenni said “In “Sun Songs” I brought these texts together to honor the Native Americans who were here first and who appreciated the Earth and all it provides for us. This work was commissioned by Definiens on the occasion of their 10th anniversary as a new music ensemble dedicated to presenting new music with special guest soprano Tony Arnold.

The text for Sun Songs comes from translated text of the North American Indians. These particular texts come from three different tribes – the Nootka North American Indians who lived on the seaward coast of Vancouver Island, Canada and the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, the Papago Indians (or the Tohono O’odham Indians) of Arizona and the Sonoran Desert, and the Havasupai People of the Grand Canyon. These various texts were used in ceremonies to bring good weather, and to ask the sun to help grow the land, and to call upon the powers of nature.

I thought these three texts fit together well in telling a story of honoring the sun and nature for what it does, from bringing beautiful colors to the sky to giving us food and life. We should learn from their lessons in giving thanks and caring for the land and continue to practice this before it is too late to save our planet.

This work was commissioned by Definiens on their 10th anniversary as a new music ensemble dedicated to presenting new music with special guest soprano Tony Arnold.