Under the greenwood tree

Under the Greenwood Tree

A Song for Voice and Piano

Music by Spicer Carr

Text from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

Mezzo - Carlee Baldwin

As a composer, I am obsessed with narrative and story. Most of the time this obsession manifests itself in compositions of narrative works; like musicals, operas, and song cycles. But even in my instrumental music, I am often creating a story. I structure my scores to be, dare I say, that most hated of words in modern classical music: programmatic. But with ‘Under The Greenwood Tree’, I found myself attracted to a simple melodic/harmonic idea. From there, I began creating a phrase for voice and piano. I tried to find a suitable text for this melody, finally settling on a song from my favorite Shakespearean comedy: Twelfth Night. But as I began designing the larger shape of the song, I found myself drawn back to story and narrative. Much like the narrator draws their lover toward the titular ‘Greenwood Tree.’ In the end, I cannot help but write narrative works, even if they are simple and bite sized.

If you plan on performing this song, please contact Spicer about performance rights and sheet music.