Evensong

Walking the river trail,
I see one boat, one fisherman 
on the river, his back 
against low sun.
I think of the Dakota,
the early ones in their river 
solitude, knowing the currents 
and when to head to shore. 
Darkness narrows the river’s 
silver path. I’m heading 
home myself, up the steep hill, 
a little breathless. A chill
from the woods touches my arm.
How we come to evening.

-Norita Dittberner-Jax

“Evensong” was commissioned as part of the 2018 Source SongBook, celebrating the festival’s 5th anniversary. It was premiered on August 5th 2018 at Westminster Hall in Minneapolis, MN by Clara Osowski, mezzo-soprano & Mary Jo Gothmann, piano.

I really love Ryan’s writing for the piano in Evensong. It is rhapsodic, beautiful, pianistic and very fun to play! I enjoyed this piece immensely! -MJG

Beautiful and impressionistic, it's great for any spot in a song recital. It's difficult for the singer only to find it's location in the swells of arpeggios. Be aware of balance issues as less sensitive pianists could easily cover smaller voices. Follow the dynamics carefully, and trust Ryan's expressive markings, regardless of the shape of the line. -CO

Ryan Johnston is a Minnesotan composer who strives to write music of moments, emphasizing the semiotic power of harmony to open vast worlds of meaning. His attention to harmonic sensuousness and transparent textures is a result of his musical studies in Paris, France. Festival attendance in the past has included the 2019 European American Musical Alliance, 2017 Source Song Festival, and the 2016 Junior Composers Institute. Ryan’s music has been performed by notable performers and ensembles such as Clara Osowski (mezzo), Andrew Cannestra (solo piano), the University of Minnesota Symphonic Band, and the Artaria String Quartet. in Fall 2020, he plans to move to Boston to pursue a Master’s degree at Boston Conservatory. Other studies have been with Alex Lubet at the University of Minnesota and Michel Merlet at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.

https://soundcloud.com/ryanjohnston24

Norita Dittberner-Jax has published four collections of poetry, most recently, Stopping For Breath from Nodin Press. Crossing The Water, her fifth collection, will be published by Nodin in June 2017. Norita has won numerous awards and fellowships, among them several nominations for the Pushcart. One of the poetry editors for Red Bird Chapbooks, Norita lives with her husband in Lilydale, Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River.