Three Poems from Felt

Complete Work Title:

Three Poems from Felt (after Alice Fulton)

Performance Medium:

poetry reading with computer music

Duration:

8:00

Date Composed:

March 2005

Movements:

  1. Prequel
  2. By Her Own Hand
  3. Call the Mainland

Additional Information:

  • The computer music is for 8-channel fixed media, though it may be performed in a reduced version for 4 channels. There is also a 4-channel interactive version of the computer music.
  • Included on the album Improbable Encounters (innova 873, 2014).

Recording:

Recording featuring poetry reading by Alice Fulton.

Score:

Program Note:

I have been an admirer of Alice Fulton’s poetry for several years now, and have used her evocative turns of phrase as titles for two of my previous works. I had wanted to compose a musical setting of her poems for quite some time, but had difficulty finding the appropriate medium, as her words seemed to resist a traditional musical setting. It finally occurred to me that I was really interested in creating an elaboration of a poetry reading — after all, poets often “perform” their own works just as musicians do, so it seemed natural to create a sonic environment around the poet’s spoken words. Three Poems from Felt was drawn from Fulton’s 2001 collection of poems, which lent themselves particularly well to such a setting.

The work was first performed by the poet on 4 April 2005 at the University of North Texas. It is included on the album Improbable Encounters (innova 873, 2014).

Performance/Broadcast History:

DateVenueLocationPerformer(s)
14 May 2019Palacky UniversityOlomouc, CzechiaHeidi Dietrich Klein, recitation
13 May 2019Janáček Academy of Music and Performing ArtsBrno, CzechiaHeidi Dietrich Klein, recitation
14 April 2013Eastern Connecticut State University Shafer AuditoriumWillimantic, CTFixed media
15 April 2011Cornell University—Department of English Reading SeriesIthaca, NYAlice Fulton, recitation
14 November 2008Delta State University—Electroacoustic Juke Joint FestivalCleveland, MSBeverly Moon, recitation
8 March 2008Nightingale Theatre—Living Arts of Tulsa New Genre FestivalTulsa, OKJessica Leza, recitation
29 February 2008Connecticut College—11th Biennial Arts and Technology SymposiumNew London, CTNancy Hoffman, recitation
26 February 2008Metropolitan CateringDenton, TXHeidi Dietrich Klein, recitation
25 February 2008University of North TexasDenton, TXHeidi Dietrich Klein, recitation
10 January 2008Armand Hammer MuseumLos Angeles, CAAlice Fulton, recitation
24 March 2007National Chiao Tung University—2007 International Workshop on Computer Music and Audio TechnologyHsinchu, TaiwanJoseph Klein, recitation
10 March 2007Iowa State University—SEAMUS 2007 National ConferenceAmes, IAKelly Kruse, recitation
21 January 2007Concordia CollegeMoorhead, MNAmanda Halverson, recitation
3 November 2005Collin County Community College—Texas Computer Musicians Network concertPlano, TXHeidi Dietrich Klein, recitation
8 April 2005University of Florida—Florida Electroacoustic Music FestivalGainesville, FLLola Haskins, recitation
4 April 2005University of North TexasDenton, TXAlice Fulton, recitation
With poet Alice Fulton, Cornell University (2011)