Nocturne

Joyful Noise (2006)

Performance: SUNY-New Paltz Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Edward Lundergan, Artistic Director; Gary Palmieri, piano

Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers.mp3 2:25

Sap's rising
	Ground's warming
Grasshoppers are	Grasshoppers are
hatching out	hatching out
Autumn-laid eggs
	splitting
Young stepping
	into spring
Grasshoppers	Grasshoppers
hopping	hopping
high
Grassjumpers	Grassjumpers
jumping	jumping
	far
Vaulting from
leaf to leaf
stem to stem	leaf to leaf
plant to plant	stem to stem
	Grass-
leapers	leapers
Grass-
bounders	bounders
	Grass-
springers	springers
Grass-
soarers	soarers
Leapfrogging	Leapfrogging
longjumping	longjumping
grasshoppers	grasshoppers.

Fireflies

Fireflies.mp3 3:57

Light	Light
	is the ink we use
Night	Night
is our parchment
	We're
	fireflies
fireflies	flickering
flitting
	flashing
fireflies
glimmering	fireflies
	gleaming
flowing
Insect calligraphers	Insect calligraphers
practicing penmanship
	coping sentences
Six-legged scribblers	Six-legged scribblers
of vanishing messages,
	fleeting graffiti
Fine artists in flight	Fine artists in flight
adding dabs of light
	bright brush strokes
Signing the June nights	Signing the June nights
as if they were paintings	as if they were paintings
	We're
flickering	fireflies
fireflies	flickering
fireflies.	fireflies.

Water Striders

WaterStriders.mp3 1:26

Whenever we're asked	Whenever we're asked
if we walk upon water	if we walk upon water
we answer	we answer
	Of course.
To be sure.
	It's quite true.
Whenever we're asked	Whenever we're asked
if we walk on it often	if we walk on it often
we answer	we answer
Quite often.
	Each day.
All day through.
Should we be questioned	Should we be questioned
on whether it's easy	on whether it's easy
we answer	we answer
	Quite easy.
A snap.
	It's a cinch.
Should we be told	Should we be told
that it's surely a miracle	that it's surely a miracle
we reply	we reply
Balderdash!
	Rubbish!
Nonsense!
Whenever we're asked	Whenever we're asked
for instructions	for instructions
we always say	we always say
	Come to the pond's edge
and do as we do.
	Put down one foot
and then put down another.
	resting upon the thin film
	on the surface.
Believe me, there's no call
at all to be nervous
	as long as you're reasonably
	mindful that you -
But by that time our student	But by that time our student
no matter how prudent
has usually	has usually
	don't ask me why
sunk from view	sunk from view.

The Moth's Serenade

MothSerenade.mp3 1:17

Porch Porch

light, light,

hear my plight! hear my plight!

I drink your light

like nectar like nectar

Dream of you

by day by day

Gaze in your eyes

all night all night

Porch light! Porch light!

Bright paradise!

I am I am

your seeking

circling seeking

sighing circling

lovesick sighing

knight

You are You are

my soul’s

my soul’s desire

desire my prize

my prize my eye’s

delight

Porch light! Porch light!

My shining star!

My compass needle’s North!

“Keep back,” they say “Keep back,” they say

I can’t!

“Don’t touch,” they say “Don’t touch,” they say

I must!

Porch light! Porch light!

Let’s clasp Let’s kiss

Let’s kiss Let’s clasp

Let’s marry for a trice! Let’s marry for a trice!

Porch light! Porch light!

Let’s meet Let’s merge

Let’s merge Let’s meet

Let’s live for love!

For light! For light!

Cicadas

Cicadas.mp3 3:00

Afternoon, mid-August
Two cicadas singing	Two cicadas singing
	Air kiln-hot, lead-heavy
Five cicadas humming	Five cicadas humming
Thunderheads northwestward
Twelve cicadas buzzing	Twelve cicadas buzzing
	Up and down the street
the mighty choir's	the mighty choir's
assembling	assembling
Shrill cica-
das	Ci-
droning	cadas
	droning
	in the elms
Three years	Three years
spent underground
	among the roots
in darkness	in darkness
Now they're breaking ground
	and climbing up
	the tree trunks
splitting skins
and singing	and singing
	Jubiland
rejoicing	cicadas
	pouring out their
fervent praise	fervent praise
	for heat and light
their hymn	their hymn
sung to the sun
Cicadas	Cicadas
	whining
whin-
ing	ci-
	cadas
	whirring
whir-
ring	ci-
	cadas
	pulsing
pulsing
chanting from the treetops	chanting from the treetops
sending
forth their	sending
booming	forth their
boisterous	booming
joyful noise!	joyful noise!

Joyful Noise is based on Paul Fleischman’s excellent book, Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. Written as a children’s book about the insect world (but widely appreciated by adults), the poems in this book were designed to be read aloud by two readers at once, sometimes by one voice alone, sometimes by both in unison, sometimes with two different lines read simultaneously. Although I am writing for four (and occasionally more) different voice parts, and occasionally venture into overlapping polyphony, I have attempted to stay true to the “two readers” concept, by dividing the poems into Soprano/Alto and Tenor/Bass statements. I vary the texture of the music with the polyphony already mentioned and sometimes by using only one or the other of the male or female voice parts.

Although Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices consists of fourteen verses, I have written music for only five of the poems: Grasshoppers, Fireflies, Water Striders, The Moth’s Serenade (which was first composed as a piece for soprano, tenor, cello and piano) and Cicadas. I have such a fondness for these verses that I envision extending this set of pieces at some time in the future. With Paul Fleishman’s generous permission, the five set poems are reprinted here. I urge anyone who is interested to view the poems in their original setting, with the lovely and humorous illustrations by Eric Beddows.

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