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The Singing of the Waves: Nereid’s Lyre (2011)

for solo voice
1 minute

Commission/Premiere Info: Commissioned and premiered by Beth Griffith for her Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame project, featuring 15 1-minute works. She premiered it on October 14, 2012 at the Jan Hus Church, New York City.

This work is part of a collection inspired by the imagined sounds and images of seductive Sea Nymphs (Nerieds) who predict the future. It draws inspiration from sounds collected during my visit to Luciano Berio’s birthplace, Oneglia, Italy—a small fishing village by the sea. The text incorporates elements from Sunk Lyonnesse by Walter de la Mare, Homer’s Odyssey, and Mary Shelley’s The Last Man. The piece explores themes of transformation and transcendence through an intensive focus on the present moment, utilizing voice, exhaustive repetition, and transfiguration of simple gestures and drones within a spatialized environment.

This arrangement by Eric Dries is performed by the CSUF New Music Ensemble, featuring Molly Pease as the vocalist-improviser, based on the solo vocal work Neried’s Lyre.

Other works in this collection include Why Women Weep: IT IS THE QUICKEST WAY TO REJOIN THE OCEAN, for solo cello and electronics (featuring the recorded voice of Anais Nin and cellist Ashley Bathgate), and Sea-Change for spoken voice and trio (clarinet, violin, piano).

Sunk Lyonesse by Walter de la Mare
In sea-cold Lyonnesse
When the Sabbath eve shafts down
On the roofs, walls and belfries
Of the foundered town

The Nereids pluck their lyers
Where the green translucency beats
And with motionless gaze
Make mintrelsy in the streets.

To purchase the scores and parts, email Pamela Madsen directly at pmadsen@fullerton.edu.

September 19, 2025 | (expanded version) performed in Meng Concert Hall, Molly Pease and CSUF New Music Ensemble
October 14, 2012 | Beth Griffith at Jan Hus Church, New York City