String Songs - 1) Song Without Words

String Songs are arrangements of seven songs I wrote between 1996 and 2007. The first being my first ever and the second a song inspired by a poem of Wendy Holmes, lifelong friend of my wife, and fabulous artist/photographer. The next five songs are all from a 2006 composition entitled Syzygy which is a song-cycle on poetry written by my wife, Nancy Knowles. The treatment of each song varies to create a constantly changing texture throughout the 23 minutes of the work. 1. Song without words quintet 2. Advice trio 3. Watershed at Brewbakers duo 4. Architecture quintet 5. Caramelo quartet 6. Remembered wellness quintet 7. Orbs in syzygy quintet The quintets use the full resources of the ensemble and are the most lavishly adorned with polyphonic lines, textural octaves, enhancements to the guitar accompaniments, etc. Advice, the only trio, is virtually identical to the original piece for guitar with soprano and baritone voices. [There is also an arrangement for piano and oboe and bassoon.] Next we have a duet between violin and guitar, a jazzy number with strumming of chords and an elaborated vocal/violin line with two-part polyphony at times and melodic flourishes at others. The rest are full ensemble except the cello is tacet in #5, in which the strings are muted in this peaceful setting.