Obsessions (2012/15) is excepted from a music-dance-theatre piece, From the House of Mirth, James Kudelka, choreography, and Alex Poch-Goldin, text after the novel by Edith Wharton. It is sung by Selden (countertenor) to Lily, who perform a dance portraying the complexity of their tender, impossible relationship, which remains distant even though they love one another. I re-wrote the piece for voice and string orchestra in 2015 for the Prince George Symphony.

Liebesleid/Lovepain (2001) was written for countertenor and baroque strings, premiere by Matthew White, countertenor, innovations en concert, Montréal. I adapted the piece for baritone and modern strings for a larger piece premiered by the VSO in 2002, Love, Beauty, Desire. I wrote the text in German and English.

Song from Faust (2015/16) completes the cycle of three songs. I translated two of the most famous lines in all of German literature from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust. I wrote this song for voice and modern strings for Robin Norman and the Prince George Symphony, to whom it is dedicated. I made a version for countertenor and Baroque strings especially for Reggie Mobley. 

text

Obsessions

text by Alex Poch-Goldin

Turn away from me

Still I watch you

Head held high in a pose

Still I watch you

Do you see me?

Do you see me?

If I could hold you close

Would you see me?

Liebesleid (Lovepain)

Text by Rodney Sharman

Mein Herz, es bricht in Zwei.

My Heart breaks in two.

Across tables,

Across rooms,

Cities,

Oceans,

Torn apart,

Torn,

My love for you,

My love for me.

Wenn ich dich liebe,

Wenn ich mich liebe,

Kann ich dich und mich lieben?

Song from Faust

Text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Trans. Rodney Sharman

Stay by me,

You are so beautiful.

Verweile doch,

Du bist so schoen!