TO PARADISE FOR ONIONS – SONGS AND CHAMBER WORKS OF EDITH HEMENWAY

Composer(s): Edith Hemenway

Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Claron McFadden, Roberta Alexander, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp
Reference: KTC1632
Barcode: 8718011585813
Format: 1 CD
Release date: 2019-01-16
SKU: KTC1632 Categories: , , , , ,

€ 21,50

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Claron McFadden soprano
Roberta Alexander soprano
Nancy Braithwaite clarinet
Michael Stirling cello
Vaughan Schlepp piano

Edith Hemenway (nee Fitz) was born in 1926 in Brookline, Massachusetts, where she studied piano as a child with the talented French wife of E. Power Biggs. In 1946, she married Augustus L. Hemenway and together they graduated from McGill University, where she majored in English Literature. They moved to California, where her husband attended Divinity school and was made rector of the Good Samaritan Church in San Francisco. With a growing family (there would eventually be eight children), she started taking organ lessons with Harold Mueller, her first important musical influence, and immersed herself in the works especially of J.S. Bach. The organ was her principal instrument for several years until she discovered the joys of the art song.

The family moved to Providence, Rhode Island in 1962, and there she became studio accompanist to David Laurent, a well- known bassbaritone who was active at Brown University. Here she developed her love of the art-song literature, and soon began studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she received a Master’s degree in Vocal Accompaniment. Shortly thereafter, she earned an M.A. from Brown University in musical composition. Since then, her attention has been divided between performing, coaching, and composition. The Boston Children’s Opera Company, since defunct, commissioned two operas, Benny and the Bear, performed in schools throughout New England, and The Twilight of Magic. The latter premiered at The Third Street Music School Settlement in New York, and was then performed by Opera on the Go as part of their traveling repertoire. Goldilocks, another opera for young children, was also commissioned and performed by this group. The librettos for these three operas were written by her daughter Sarah. A fourth opera, Doctor Know-It-All, conceived for an older audience and involving a larger cast, was performed by voice students at the University of Rhode Island. During this period, Ms. Hemenway also received two Composer-in-Residence grants.

While on a two-year stint in Savannah, Georgia, she became friendly with Nancy Braithwaite, and composed two works for her: Asian Figures and A Child’s Garden. Other widely performed works by Ms. Hemenway have been the works song-cycle Wonderings on poems by Kenneth Patchen, and the popular Four Duets on Poems by Langston Hughes. Several other song-cycles and chamber works have been premiered by Nancy Braithwaite and her ensembles in The Netherlands including ‘Questions of Travel’ and ‘Doors’.

1. Doors: I. Moderate, Despondent
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

2. Doors: II. Very Slow and Expressive, But in a Steady Tempo
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

3. Doors: III. Agitated
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

4. Question of Travel: Landscape Viewed from a Train Window
Composer: Edith Hemenway
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

5. Question of Travel: The Dog Plagued by Fleas
Composer: Edith Hemenway
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

6. Question of Travel: Waterfalls
Composer: Edith Hemenway
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

7. Question of Travel: Journey of the Ancients
Composer: Edith Hemenway
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

8. Question of Travel: The Rented Car
Composer: Edith Hemenway
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

9. Question of Travel: Siesta
Composer: Edith Hemenway
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

10. Question of Travel: Think of the Long Trip Home
Composer: Edith Hemenway
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Michael Stirling, Vaughan Schlepp

11. To Paradise for Onions
Composer: Edith Hemenway
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

12. A Child’s Garden of Verses, Six Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Fairy Bread
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Robert Louis Stevenson
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

13. A Child’s Garden of Verses, Six Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Where Go the Boats
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Robert Louis Stevenson
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

14. A Child’s Garden of Verses, Six Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Windy Nights
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Robert Louis Stevenson
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

15. A Child’s Garden of Verses, Six Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: The Cow
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Robert Louis Stevenson
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

16. A Child’s Garden of Verses, Six Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Rain
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Robert Louis Stevenson
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

17. A Child’s Garden of Verses, Six Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Farewell to the Farm
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Robert Louis Stevenson
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

18. Asian Figures: I Eat the Cucumber My Way
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

19. Asian Figures: Autumn Rides Down on One Leaf
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

20. Asian Figures: Thread Has to Go Where the Needle Went
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

21. Asian Figures: Ferns Bend into the Water/ Over There Egrets Are Flying / I Sit Helpless with Longing
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

22. Asian Figures: It’s Only Where Pretty Girls Live / That He Thinks His Lost Hen / Might Be Found
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

23. Asian Figures: Oh Temple Flower / Blooming in the Dragon’s Mouth
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

24. Asian Figures: Daybreak with Clouds Flying and One Star / Like a Knife in the Hill / If I Could Find Her I Would See Nothing Els
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

25. Asian Figures: Life/ Candle Flame / Wind Coming
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

26. Asian Figures: When You’re Finished Go Home
Composer: Edith Hemenway/W.S. Merwin
Artist(s): Nancy Braithwaite, Vaughan Schlepp

27. Four Poems of Langston Hughes: Island
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Langston Hughes
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Roberta Alexander, Vaughan Schlepp

28. Four Poems of Langston Hughes: Down and Out
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Langston Hughes
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Roberta Alexander, Vaughan Schlepp

29. Four Poems of Langston Hughes: Midwinter Blues
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Langston Hughes
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Roberta Alexander, Vaughan Schlepp

30. Four Poems of Langston Hughes: Hope
Composer: Edith Hemenway/Langston Hughes
Artist(s): Claron McFadden, Roberta Alexander, Vaughan Schlepp

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TO PARADISE FOR ONIONS – SONGS AND CHAMBER WORKS OF EDITH HEMENWAY
€ 21,50
Listen on your favorite streaming serviceSpotify IconSpotify
Listen on your favorite streaming serviceSpotify IconSpotify

Claron McFadden soprano
Roberta Alexander soprano
Nancy Braithwaite clarinet
Michael Stirling cello
Vaughan Schlepp piano

Edith Hemenway (nee Fitz) was born in 1926 in Brookline, Massachusetts, where she studied piano as a child with the talented French wife of E. Power Biggs. In 1946, she married Augustus L. Hemenway and together they graduated from McGill University, where she majored in English Literature. They moved to California, where her husband attended Divinity school and was made rector of the Good Samaritan Church in San Francisco. With a growing family (there would eventually be eight children), she started taking organ lessons with Harold Mueller, her first important musical influence, and immersed herself in the works especially of J.S. Bach. The organ was her principal instrument for several years until she discovered the joys of the art song.

The family moved to Providence, Rhode Island in 1962, and there she became studio accompanist to David Laurent, a well- known bassbaritone who was active at Brown University. Here she developed her love of the art-song literature, and soon began studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she received a Master’s degree in Vocal Accompaniment. Shortly thereafter, she earned an M.A. from Brown University in musical composition. Since then, her attention has been divided between performing, coaching, and composition. The Boston Children’s Opera Company, since defunct, commissioned two operas, Benny and the Bear, performed in schools throughout New England, and The Twilight of Magic. The latter premiered at The Third Street Music School Settlement in New York, and was then performed by Opera on the Go as part of their traveling repertoire. Goldilocks, another opera for young children, was also commissioned and performed by this group. The librettos for these three operas were written by her daughter Sarah. A fourth opera, Doctor Know-It-All, conceived for an older audience and involving a larger cast, was performed by voice students at the University of Rhode Island. During this period, Ms. Hemenway also received two Composer-in-Residence grants.

While on a two-year stint in Savannah, Georgia, she became friendly with Nancy Braithwaite, and composed two works for her: Asian Figures and A Child’s Garden. Other widely performed works by Ms. Hemenway have been the works song-cycle Wonderings on poems by Kenneth Patchen, and the popular Four Duets on Poems by Langston Hughes. Several other song-cycles and chamber works have been premiered by Nancy Braithwaite and her ensembles in The Netherlands including ‘Questions of Travel’ and ‘Doors’.