At the Round Earth’s Imagined Cornersby Williametta Spencer (b. 1832)
Poem by John Donne (1572 – 1631)
Conducted by Emily Pritchard
Biography:
Emily Pritchardis a master of music education with certification student at VanderCook College of Music. Originally from Galesburg, IL, she received her bachelor of music degree in Commercial Music with a minor in Theatre from Millikin University. She was honored to participate in the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project in 2009, and she began a private voice studio after returning from teaching English in Chile for English Opens Doors.
Program Notes:
At the heart of At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners lies a poem composed by John Donne - a poet, lawyer, and cleric during the 1600’s. He wrote the sonnet as he grappled with his mortality. The piece is through-composed, and Spencer switches between simple and compound meters to interpret the text. The piece won the 1968 Choral Competition of the Southern California Vocal Association.