Nine Bethany Swann Songs for High Voice and Piano Trio

In an unusual twist, Carr composed the musical component of Nine Bethany Swann Songs prior to the texts having been written. The poet, Bethany Swann, listened to his music and through that experience was able to create the lyrics that so perfectly flow in the songs an impressive achievement. The nine-movement song cycle begins with In Memoriam, the most pop music sounding of the songs, with a simple lyrical line. Roses Through Barbed Wire follows it is more aggressive and percussive with an active accompaniment to the voice. The third piece of the cycle, The Somnambulist, is in two parts: the first with long melodic lines over a minimalist accompaniment; the second, more chordal and lyrically active. The Struggle shows influences of Americana and has a purely instrumental middle section. The midway point of the cycle, Stained Glass, makes use of glowing chords in various modes. The sixth song is A Return, which contains thick textures and chordal accompaniment in support of the vocal part. Song of Returns introduces a slower pace and is imagined as an impressionistic cowboy song if such a thing were to exist! The penultimate movement, Light Sources is a multi-part song having an ethereal middle section and an explosive instrumental ending. The cycle concludes with Northern Boundaries, which includes a hymn-inspired section at the end.