Simple Songs (soprano and chamber orchestra) (1991)
INSTRUMENTATION: Soprano; 1(pic).100/1000/perc/hp/str (min 6.6.4.3.2)
DURATION: 20 Minutes
Talise Trevigne, soprano; David Alan Miller, conductor
Text Writer: “The Enlightened Heart,” ed. Stephen Mitchell: Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179); Bible: Psalms; Rumi
Simple Songs is Kernis’ unassuming title for his settings of texts from the Book of Psalms, the 12th century abbess Hildegarde von Bingen, the Japanese Zen master Ryokan, and the renowned Sufi poet Rumi. These varied literary sources from cultures that embrace East and West share a common spirituality communicated with deep feeling and orchestral finesse.