Description

CHAMBER MUSIC BUNDLE: Includes scores and parts for all of the works recorded on
FROM EARTH & SKY: MUSIC OF JENNI BRANDON

FROM EARTH & SKY , a new CD from oboist Lindabeth Binkley, brings together a collection of Jenni Brandon’s works that beautifully share her deep love for the natural world and, as an additional connecting point, her affinity for the oboe. Whether it be soaring high above the trees, exploring the darkness of poignant loss, or engaging in the profound beauty of transformation, Jenni knows how to let the oboe do what it does best. Her music is engaging on all fronts, which makes it exciting to perform and enjoyable for listeners.

Recorded on the Blue Griffin Recording label by Lindabeth Binkley-oboe, she is joined by LaToya Lain-soprano, Dane Philipsen-oboe, Kennen White-clarinet, Marybeth Minnis-bassoon, and Mary Jo Cox – piano.

CD is available wherever you get your music:

Blue Griffin
Amazon.com
iTunes
Google Play
​YouTube
​Spotify

 

The following works are recorded on the CD, and are included in the FROM EARTH & SKY Chamber Music Bundle:

Wood Song* solo oboe (2019) was inspired by the Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) poem of the same name. It tells of the wood thrush bird as well as the poet’s honesty of kissing life “scars and all”. Listen for variations and interpretations on the wood thrush’s ethereal and mysterious sounds, telling the journey of a soul through poem and music. This work was commissioned by Dr. Lindabeth Binkley with a Faculty Research and Creative Endeavors Grant from Central Michigan University.

 

Going to the Sun: Snapshots from Glacier National Park* for oboe and bassoon explores the beauty of Glacier National Park in Montana, telling the stories like looking back at snapshots from vacation. In one movement with sections:

Early morning on the Road
Fifty miles begin…
Sunrise on Lake McDonald
Driving the Loop
The Weeping Wall
Stepping onto Jackson Glacier Overlook
Jackson Glacier
Sunset at the end of The Road

 

 Love Songs* for oboe and soprano: This multi-movement work uses text of Native American women as she sings to her child and tells her story – from falling in love, to working the land, and the pain of loss. A dramatic work that allows both soprano and oboe to paint a picture of a woman’s journey through life.

I. Lullaby
II. Song of Basket-Weaving
III. Song of the Blue-Corn Dance
IV. Love Song (Chippewa)
V. Love Song from the Andes
VI. My Love Has Departed
VII. Lullaby (Reprise)

 

 The Sequoia Trio for oboe, bassoon, and clarinet: This six-movement work tells the stories of the giant Sequoia Trees, inspired by the words of John Muir from his book “The Yosemite”.

I. Sequoiadendron giganteum: The Big Tree
Tree Interlude One
II. “A crowd of hopeful young trees and saplings…”
III. The Three Graces
Tree Interlude Two
IV. The Noble Trees

 

Metamorphosis* for two oboes and piano explores the idea of rebirth and growth through trials and tribulations. The work concludes with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that brings together the intent of the whole work: “The metamorphosis excites in the beholder an emotion of joy…” In one movement, the sections in the work take the listener on a journey from vulnerability to emerging new in joy.