Description

I also brought these texts together 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.

Watch the video from the premiere of the work with Tony Arnold-soprano, Ryan Zwahlen-English horn, David Mergen-cello, Jeanette Louise Yaryan-piano.  Highways in Santa Monica – February 2013.

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.  I also brought these texts together honor the Native Americans who were here first and who appreciated the Earth and all it provides for us.  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 the occasion of their 10th anniversary as a new music ensemble dedicated to presenting new music with special guest soprano Tony Arnold.

Song to bring fair weather (Nootka)

You, whose day it is, make it beautiful.
Get out your rainbow colors.
So it will be beautiful.

Song to pull down the clouds (Papago)

At the edge of the world
It is growing light.
Up rears the light.
Just yonder the day dawns.
Spreading over the night.

A Prayer (Havasupai)

Sun, my relative
Be good coming out
Do something god for us.

Make me work,
So I can do anything in the garden
I hoe, I plant corn, I irrigate.

You, sun, be god going down at sunset
We lay down to sleep I want to feel good.

While I sleep you come up.
Go on your course many times.
Make good things for us (men).

Make me always the same as I am now.