Early in the Morning (Rorem)

By Bridget Skaggs

Me, traveling abroad in 2016. Photo Elliot Mandel.

This beloved 20th century art song floats in on a cloud of nostalgia.  The narrator recalls a single moment – most of us have experienced at least one – where time stood still and everything was right in the world.

Robert Hillyer's poem awakens the senses as he recalls the sights, sounds and scents of being in love while living abroad at age twenty.  The memory becomes more intoxicating with each new detail: It was a summer morning.  Perfect greenery hung overhead.  The sidewalks smelled of fresh rain as they were being washed down.

American composer Ned Rorem spent a formative decade of his own life living in France from 1949-1958.  He brings the poem to life with a lilting melody and gently rocking gestures in the piano.  Perhaps there is a single twinge of longing for the pleasures of youth as the narrator looks back on that distant moment; but then again, there is pleasure in keeping the memory alive across the years, too.

As you listen to this song, perhaps you will take a moment to resurface your own memories of youth, travel, and love.

​Please enjoy this performance, featuring myself with pianist Mark Bilyeu, live in concert on February 2, 2017 at the State Street Gallery in Chicago.

Author

Bridget Skaggs is the founding mezzo-soprano and Executive Director of Fourth Coast Ensemble.  She studied opera at Oklahoma City University's Wanda L. Bass School of Music, and moved to Chicago in 2012 to pursue a dual career in singing and yoga.  Bridget's passion for art song grows from her lifelong love of words, communication, and the human voice.