Four Songs of Paul Laurence Dunbar

Composed in response to Vox Novus’s international Fifteen Minutes of Fame call for scores, these four unaccompanied art songs set the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar with great sensitivity and expressive depth. Each song captures the unique emotional character of its text, offering both singer and audience a compelling musical experience. We Wear the Mask was selected by soprano Jenny Ribeiro for performance as part of her Fifteen Minutes of Fame recital. Together, the four songs—I. Dawn, II. Life, III. We Wear the Mask, and IV. Sympathy—form a cohesive and rewarding set for solo recitals. The final song, Sympathy, employs a twelve-tone technique that powerfully reflects the anguish of the caged bird while remaining lyrical, singable, and accessible to audiences.