The beauty and complexity of being alive are woven into the sensuous fabric of Nature Creature. A compelling vocal work composed over a ten year period for vocalist Ruth MacKenzie, this musical experience is a song cycles, a jazz set, a musical theater piece. It is a passionate, intimate conversation full of joy, despair, and wonder.
WATCH NATURE CREATURE AT THE MINNESOTA FRINGE FESTIVAL!
July 30-Aug 9, 2020
With words by seven luminous writers – Louise Erdrich, George Ella Lyon, A. R. Ammons, Nancy White, Lilian Moore, David Ignatow and the mystic Hafiz – Nature Creature embraces our brief, glorious time on earth, with all its discovery, growth, contradiction, heartbreak and joy.
Nature Creature contains many opportunities for improvisation, embellishment and personal nuance. Performers are heartily encouraged to "make this work their own."
Individual songs available separately as sheet music or PDFs:
The Meadow Doesn't Know About the Stock Market
I'll Tell You a Story, then...
A Love Like That
CDs, sheet music or PDFs may be ordered below.
mp3s may be purchased at these online stores:
“A sound/composition [like] you’ve never experienced…[with a] a new, exciting, almost-philosophical text.” – Becca Hart, Minnesota Playlist
For the lyrics I chose the most wise and visceral writings I could find, each brimming with discovery, sorrow and joy. While I originally thought of these songs as separate entities, over time I’ve come to think of them as inexorably linked, each possessing a different honest and heartbreaking key to the mystery of life.
In developing these songs I worked closely with vocalist Ruth MacKenzie, whose earth-grounded style helped keep me in touch with the ecstatic and primal energy that I wanted to capture. Traces of her DNA thread through these songs, making them richer (like good compost). When we brought cellist Jacqueline Ultan onto this project a few years into the project, she brought another layer of expression to these songs: an internal utterance that cannot be expressed by words. I am indebted to my collaborators for their playfulness, vision and creative spirit.
“A sound/composition [like] you’re never experienced…[with a] a new, exciting, almost-philosophical text.” – Becca Hart, Minnesota Playlist
* Premiere: Ruth MacKenzie, Jacqueline Ultan & Elizabeth Alexander (St. Paul, MN)
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