M Ryan Taylor

Last week I had the opportunity to be a part of an Elder Hostel program that is held in conjunction with Utah Festival Opera by Utah State University faculty on the USU campus in Logan. In the program seniors come and stay the week and attend various cultural events and classes.

Lynn Jemison-Keisker, director of their Opera Theatre program invited me. She, on piano, and soprano Venicia Wilson performed my song cycle "All Heaven and it was One Hour Old" as the subject of the lecture/panel discussion for the hour and a half class. It was a great experience.

First Lynn and Venicia would talk a little about each of the songs and then perform them one at a time. Then they’d ask me for comments and open it up for questions from the class participants.

It’s always interesting to me what normal non-musician music lovers are interested in. What are they interested in? Stories, confilct and resolution: I talked briefly about a certain group (not named of course) that had recently butchered one of my new works and how nice it was to have such excellent performers take up your work to present (specifically the performers that day). Later, one of the ladies asked me about this during the questions and how I reacted and what I said to them. I was a little surprised by this question, but I told them that I had said, "Thank you." What else can you do? If you pay someone to do a job and they don’t do it, you just say thanks and then move on to someone else. Anyway, this same lady that asked the question came up to me afterward and told me what a sweet man I was. So, being gracious to people does pay off long afterward it seems.

Anyway, it was a good little class and I enjoyed doing it. It really is wonderful when good performers take up and champion your work. I’m really grateful to these two for showcasing it and bringing it to an audience who probably would have never heard it otherwise.

CD project : Art Songs, 1997-2007

It is often because of the generosity of a few individuals that our parks, arts centers, and even public radio/television are made available to the greater public. So also is the case with many, if not most, classical and jazz recordings made today. There’s not a lot of money to be made in CD sales for classical titles, but does that mean that beautiful things should go unpreserved? Not if people like you who cherish them are willing to pitch in.

In 2008, you can help bring the music to life by making a contribution toward the recording of M Ryan Taylor’s complete art song catalog 1997-2007. We’ll be starting by recording All Heaven and it was One Hour Old with soprano Venicia Wilson (a simply amazing Utah-based soprano) and pianist Lynn Claire Jemison-Keisker (former accompanist for Utah opera). After that set of songs is done we’ll be working back one set at a time until we reach Two Early Songs. Your contribution to the project is absolutely essential to its success.

Last things first: All Heaven and it was One Hour Old (a 17-minute set of five songs) was recently premiered in full at the Salty Cricket Inaugural Concert in Salt Lake City. These performers were wonderful and you can help put all their hard work on CD with a donation toward the recording.

The high cost of recording a CD

Did you know?

• One song takes approximately 3 hours of studio time to record, edit and master.
• One hour of studio time costs $85 at local studios.

With these numbers in hand, you can see how quickly the cost of recording a CD can add up:

• One song can cost $255 to record.
• A set of five songs can cost $1275 to record.
• A 2-CD set of the 33 songs written by M Ryan Taylor is estimated to cost $8415 before taking into account the performers or the CD printing costs.

On top of these costs, we’d like to see the performers get paid for their hard work (and for a bit of the money they’ve invested in their education to be this good, which is not small).

Composers throughout time (Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Wagner, Stravinsky, Copland, etc.) have all had to rely, in whole or part, on the generosity of patrons; patrons, like yourself, who wanted to see the dreams come to life.

How you can Help

Any donation would be a great help to getting this project underway. This chart reflects how far your donation will go toward covering the costs of getting this CD made:

• $50 : Sponsors one of the performers to record a song. 
• $85 : Sponsors an hour of studio time.
• $100 : Sponsors both performers to record a song.
• $255 : Sponsors the studio time to record and master one song.
• $355 : Sponsors both the performers and the studio time for one song.
• $500 : Sponsors the performers for the complete cycle of five songs, All Heaven and it was One Hour Old.
• $1275 : Sponsors the studio time for the complete cycle of five songs, All Heaven and it was One Hour Old.
• $1775 : Sponsors the complete recording of the cycle of five songs, All Heaven and it was One Hour Old.
• $3300 : Sponsors the performers for the complete project of all 33 songs.
• $8415 : Sponsors the studio time for the complete project of all 33 songs.
• $11715 : Sponsors the complete project to record all 33 songs.

Right now we’re focusing on getting to the second benchmark, the complete recording of All Heaven and it was One Hour Old for which we need to raise $1775. Donate now to help bring this beautiful work to life.

Sponsor Benefits

Any Amount : All sponsors will be listed in the CD insert and get an invitation to the CD release party when the project is complete. Donate

Performer Friend $50 : A copy of the Art Song CD when completed and a copy of Taylor’s CD Thirteen for Halloween for your children. Donate

Studio Friend $150 : All of the above, plus choose between a framed print of Masks III : Dracula with Angel Mask, signed by M Ryan Taylor or a bound copy of all 33 art songs 1997-2007, signed by the composer. Donate

Song Sponsor $355 : All of the above, plus a copy of Taylor’s first opera, ABINADI, on DVD as performed by BYU in 2003 and signed set of 3 children’s song books by M Ryan Taylor. Thirteen for Halloween, Thanksgiving! and O Sing a Song of Bethlehem. Donate

Cycle Sponsor $1275 : All of the above, plus dinner with the composer before the CD release concert and VIP reserved seating at the CD release concert. Donate

CD Sponsor $5858 : For sponsoring the cost of recording one of the 2 CDs you will receive a substantial piece written especially for you by composer M Ryan Taylor, plus all of the above. Donate

Donations can also be sent by check (made out to Vocal Works) to :

CD Project : Art Songs 1997-2007
c/o Vocal Works
856 N 350 W
American Fork, UT 84003

Available Editions:

Free PDF Editions:

• All Heaven and it was One Hour Old - Medium Voice.pdf
• All Heaven and it was One Hour Old - Medium High Voice.pdf
• All Heaven and it was One Hour Old - High Voice.pdf
• All Heaven and it was One Hour Old - all 3 editions - Medium - Medium High and High.pdf

Printed Edition on Lulu.com:

All Heaven and it was One Hour Old
All 3 keys in a spiral bound book.

About "All Heaven and it was One Hour Old"

This song cycle is based on the Christmas poetry of Katherine Tynan, an Irish catholic poet who at one time, early in her career, was championed by William Butler Yeats. The five lovely, thought provoking poems that were chosen from her works for this song cycle capture the spirit of Christmas with a distinctly unique voice. They are filled with the hope and passion of a true believer, but not a brash one. Tynan’s poems are thoughtful, contemplative, the works of someone who will always stop and ponder an issue rather than resort to tired cliches.

One of these poems is really quite an amazing find. The Christmas Bird, never published until now, was located in a special collection of Katherine Tynan Hinkson papers by myself. Members of my family and I transcribed the barely legible hand-written manuscript especially for use in this song cycle (it took a few days, and we had to guess at a few of the words in the end, but we think we got most of it right). Like the other poems it is filled with unique symbols that I find very attractive and moving.

I hope this music and the message of Tynan’s poetry will add to your Christmas season, whether in your recital, concert or church service. Merry Christmas to you, whatever the day may be!

Recordings:

Songs 1-3 :

Songs 4-5 :

Live performance by Venicia Wilson and Lynn Claire Jemison-Keisker at The Salty Cricket Composers Collective Inaugural Concert, February 23 2008 at the Salt Lake City Pickle Company.

The Texts:

All poems by Katherine Tynan, from various collections and sources.

1. The Christmas Bird
   Due to copyright restrictions this text cannot be displayed here.
   Please download an edition of the song cycle to view it.
   
   
2. All Heaven and it was One Hour Old
   
   The Christmas moon shines clear and bright;
   There were poor travellers such a night
   Had neither fire nor candlelight.
   
   One plucked them stars out of the sky
   To show the road to travel by;
   So that the ass go warily.
   
   She had all Heaven safe in her hold,
   Hidden within her mantles fold:
   All Heaven and it was one hour old.
   
   Her hair under, over Him spread
   His spun gold coverlet and His bed,
   Twined with his little golden head.
   
   She sang and rocked Him to-and-fro
   Such songs as little babies know,
   With lullaby sweet and lulla lo.
   
   He had no need of moons or suns,
   Nor the gold-crested bird legions,
   Singing their lauds and orisons.
   
   The Christmas moon shows a cold beam:
   He hath His mother she hath Him:
   Together they sleep, together dream.
   
   
3. Bethlehem
   
   WHERE man was all too marred with sin,
   The ass, the ox were bidden in.
   
   Where angels were unmeet to come
   These humble entered Holydom.
   
   "Their innocent eyes and full of awe
   Saw the fulfilment of the law.
   
   There in the stable with the beast
   The Christmas Child hath spread His feast.
   
   These gave their bed and eke their board
   To be a cradle for their Lord.
   
   Their honey-breath, their tears all mild,
   Warmed in the cold the new-born Child.
   
   These His adorers were before
   The Kings and Shepherds thronged the door.
   
   And where no angels knelt there kneeled
   The innocent creatures of the field.
   
   
4. Bring Him Peace
   
   THE Kings to the Stable
   They brought sweet spice,
   The gold and the silver,
   And jewels of price.
   But the Dove by the manger
   She would not cease
   Mourning so softly:
   Bring Him Peace; bring Him Peace!
   
   The Kings from the Orient
   Brought nard and clove.
   The Dove went mourning:
   Bring Him Love; Bring Him Love.
   
   What would content Him
   In silver and gold,–
   A new-born Baby
   But one hour old?
   Not myrrh shall please Him
   Nor the ambergris,
   What hath sweet savour
   Of His mother’s kiss?
   
   There is clash of battle,
   And men hate and slay:
   From the noise and the tumult
   She hides Him away.
   But His sleep is fitful
   In His Mother’s breast,
   The Dove goes mourning:
   Give Him rest; give Him rest!
   
   
5. Old Song Re-Sung
   
   I saw three ships a-sailing,
   A-sailing on the sea,
   The first her masts were silver,
   Her hull was ivory.
   The snows came drifting softly,
   And lined her white as wool;
   Oh, Jesus, Son of Mary,
   Thy Cradle beautiful !
   
   I saw three ships a-sailing,
   The next was red as blood,
   Her decks shone like a ruby,
   Encrimsoned all her wood.
   Her main-mast stood up lonely,
   A lonely Cross and stark.
   Oh, Jesus, Son of Mary,
   Bring all men to that ark !
   
   I saw three ships a-sailing.
   The third for cargo bore
   The souls of men redeemed,
   That shall be slaves no more.
   The lost beloved faces,
   I saw them glad and free.
   Oh, Jesus, Son of Mary,
   When wilt thou come for me?

Star and Manger, by M Ryan Taylor