FOURTH COAST ENSEMBLE
  • About
    • The Organization
    • Quartet & Staff Members
  • On Stage
    • Upcoming >
      • 2022-23 Season
      • 2022 Gala: Chicago Public Art in Song
      • Laughterreise: Liebeslieder Edition
      • Chicago songSLAM
      • Fine Folk
    • Past Seasons >
      • 2021-22 Season >
        • A Brush With Our Time, world premiere
        • Laughterreise
        • Roaring Twenties
        • Chicago songSLAM
        • End of Season Talent Show
      • 2021 HD Season >
        • Soprano | Mezzo Duo
        • Tenor | Bass Duo
        • Quartet Remix
        • songSLAM
      • 2019-20 Season >
        • Songs of Fourth Coast
        • American Woman
        • Between the Lines
        • Four by Four
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Give
  • Contact
  • Shop

Miriam Gideon: She Weeps Over Rahoon

11/20/2020

1 Comment

 
By Ace Gangoso
The holiday season is most commonly associated with joy, family, abundance, festivities, and nostalgia.  Each year as it approaches, I try to stay mindful that, for many, this time of year also comes with struggle.  Many go without basic comforts, and there is likely someone you know who will have to bear the sight of an empty chair at the dinner table.  This year, the weight of this reality is even more pronounced, and so it is crucial that we allow ourselves and others the space to express sorrow, to grieve, and to mourn.  We have all experienced some form of loss over the past several months, ranging from the death of a loved one to job loss and the ability to do a multitude of things that were previously considered to be normal.

I offer the words of James Joyce set to music by Miriam Gideon to allow us a pathway into this realm—not to wallow, but to help us welcome the full spectrum of experiences that make us human, and appreciate the beauty that can emerge from pain.
Picture
Photo by Irina Shishkina on Unsplash
“She Weeps Over Rahoon” is sung from the perspective of one standing at the grave of a lover, mourning and contemplating her own mortality.  It begins without introduction, calling to mind the suddenness with which grief can strike.   There is a feeling of unease and imbalance brought on by the contrasts between the vocal and piano lines.  The melody moans and weeps, moving with straight eighth notes, sometimes quite dramatically up and down throughout the range.  The accompaniment is more transparent, featuring triplet arpeggios that resemble a gentle but constant trickle of rain—subtle, almost indistinguishable from the falling of tears.
Through these moments of intense grief, we feel nature’s embrace: the pale moon watches over, the nettles reflect its light, and the rain mutters in sympathy.  There is great power and profundity in the quiet presence of nature, which is constantly moving and changing in spite of us and our worries and our dreams.  It carries on.  As long as we are here on this earth, so must we.
Picture

Author

Tenor Ace Gangoso recently completed his first season with Fourth Coast Ensemble.  His various other musical affiliations, including the CSO and Grant Park Choruses, Chicago a cappella, the Archdiocese of Chicago, and the Chicago Black Catholics Choir, hint at his interests in different musical genres and styles.  He believes good songs are like onions: they come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, have many layers, and take on the unique flavors added by those entrusted to their care.

1 Comment
Caroline G link
7/18/2022 09:16:57 am

Appreciatee your blog post

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    SUBSCRIBE

    * indicates required

    About

    Hello, and welcome to the blog!  We are Fourth Coast Ensemble, Chicago's classical vocal quartet.  Join a different member of our ensemble each week for insights into our favorite art songs, links to archival and new recordings, and reflections on why we value and continue to come back to this musical medium.  We proudly present, your weekly #artsongfix!

    Archives

    September 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020

    Categories

    All
    African American Art Song
    American Art Song
    Animal Themed
    By Ace
    By Bridget
    By David
    By Sarah
    Chicago Art Song
    Christmas
    Comedic Art Song
    Crossover Jazz
    Crossover Musical Theater
    Duets
    English Art Song
    Filipino Song
    Food Themed
    French Mélodie
    Friendship
    German Lieder
    Love
    Mexican Art Song
    Mourning
    Nature
    On Music
    Quartets
    Social Justice
    Songs For Bass Baritone
    Songs For Mezzo Soprano
    Songs For Soprano
    Songs For Tenor
    Trios
    Vocal Chamber Music
    War
    Women's Rights

    RSS Feed

Picture
4955 S. Kimbark Ave.
Chicago, IL 60615
​
Website photography by Elliot Mandel Photography
  • About
    • The Organization
    • Quartet & Staff Members
  • On Stage
    • Upcoming >
      • 2022-23 Season
      • 2022 Gala: Chicago Public Art in Song
      • Laughterreise: Liebeslieder Edition
      • Chicago songSLAM
      • Fine Folk
    • Past Seasons >
      • 2021-22 Season >
        • A Brush With Our Time, world premiere
        • Laughterreise
        • Roaring Twenties
        • Chicago songSLAM
        • End of Season Talent Show
      • 2021 HD Season >
        • Soprano | Mezzo Duo
        • Tenor | Bass Duo
        • Quartet Remix
        • songSLAM
      • 2019-20 Season >
        • Songs of Fourth Coast
        • American Woman
        • Between the Lines
        • Four by Four
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Give
  • Contact
  • Shop