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about

Writing vocal music for friends drew me into daily deep-dives into poetry, a practice which I continue to this day and which is made easy and inviting through “poem-a-day” available at poets.org. It was this site where I discovered the work of James Brasfield. I continue to read and set his work, and expect that Palladium has become part of a larger set of songs on Brasfield’s poetry. Palladium is based on Brasfield’s poem of the same name (below). The music was written in 2016 for Sharon Harms and Steven Beck, who gave its premiere performance in Greenville, NC on January 26, 2017.

lyrics

Palladium


A cortege of clouds’
shifting planes

reflected on a river,
the currents weave deepens,

yet motionless
the dramatization of
a fern unfolding,
light illuminating the air

for a moments’ threshold,
when time, where we stand,

corresponds to the day
held firm,

derived from the elegance of
the equation,

for what was once never here.

- James Brasfield (b. 1952)

credits

from Addressing Wonder: The music of Ed Jacobs, released March 19, 2021
Sharon Harms, soprano
Steven Beck, piano

“Palladium” by James Brasfield, originally published in Poem-a-Day on August 10, 2016, by the Academy of American Poets, was used with permission of James Brasfield.

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Open G Records New York, New York

Open G Records is an independent classical record label based in New York City. We strive to assist the exceptional artists on our roster in making records that tell their stories on their terms. Our artists enjoy unprecedented freedom in the production of their art, and co-own the resulting product in a profit-sharing structure. We hope you enjoy this wonderful music and thank you for listening! ... more

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