Based on the poem by Robert Frost, in the style of Johnny Cash.

Premiere: Thursday August 4th, 2006, 5:00pm
Straus Auditorium, Brevard Music Center
Evan Broadhead, baritone
Billie Whittaker, piano

Sharp is a song cycle based on a set of poems by Jillian Burcar. When I first read Jillian's words, I was immediately struck by their direct and powerful imagery, and it was a challenge for me to try and set her texts in a way that amplifies their emotional qualities without compromising their original spirit. I decided to use a combination of sung and spoken text, and to set parts of her poems more than once, in different ways, to bring out the conflicted nature of the speaker. I also tried to present the three songs as a complete narrative arc, progressing from anger in "Poison Bones" through introspection in "Crayola Girl" to something else entirely in "With Such Teeth" (which, according to Jillian, was written while listening to "Mack the Knife").

The recording below is the last movement, "With Such Teeth," in its entirety, as performed by the University of Southern California's Contemporary Music Ensemble, with soloist Alexandra Loutsion, on Tuesday November 20th, 2007.

(Note: a version for soprano with piano accompaniment is also available.)