Brother Fire (2008)

A Miniature Opera

Duration: 5:00

Libretto on the play by Thornton Wilder

Cast:

Isola - Soprano - A poor girl. Annunziata's daughter.
Annunziata - Mezzo-soprano - A poor woman. Isola's mother.
Brother Francis - Baritone - A wandering holy man

Instrumentation:
flute, oboe, Bb clarinet, bassoon, horn in F, trumpet in C, trombone, percussion (one or two players), 2 violins, viola, cello

Premiere

Playing, Singing, Talking Wilder - February 27, 2008, Ward Recital Hall, Catholic University of America

David Searle, conductor
Tamara Tucker, Isola
Dominique Donnarumma, Annunziata
Ben Hansen, Brother Francis

Catholic University Chamber Orchestra

Notes

This was part of the Catholic University of America's President's Festival for 2008, which was a week-long festival of performances by the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music of pieces inspired by the works of Thornton Wilder. Playing, Singing, and Talking Wilder was a roundtable discussion followed by performances of several of Wilder's 3 character, 3 minute plays. Everyone taking part was assigned a play, and instructed to create incidental music for a performance of that play. I, however, was asked to write a miniature opera on Brother Fire. Due to copyright, this piece unfortunately can't be performed again.