Penelope

soprano, flute, viola, and harp

12’

July 2025

written for Maddy Morris and Trio Farben

Penelope sets the words from Ursula Vaughan Williams’ 1945 poem of the same name, delving into themes of longing, love, and memory. Commissioned by Trio Farben for performances on their 2025 Summer Tour, A Vaughan Williams Celebration, the work explores waiting, loss, and selfhood through a musical language grounded in stillness and resonance.

The piece is shaped by two contrasting yet interconnected elements, a single melodic line and chordal textures. It begins with the harp repeating a single chord, establishing the contemplative harmonic atmosphere, before the flute introduces the first statement of the melody. This line is gradually passed between voice, viola, and harp, evolving over time into something reminiscent of medieval song. In the chordal sections, the ensemble moves as one, with voice and instruments blending into a unified timbre that blurs the boundary between soloist and collective sound.

Text by Ursula Vaughan Williams. Text copyright © Vaughan Williams Foundation. Used with permission.