Roundup of Texas Art Song Composers
David Featherstone, composer
Cemetery Shadows - Text by Candy Lish Fowler
A Collage of 4 Art Songs for Soprano, Violin, and Piano
Performed by: Jackie Lengfelder, Soprano, Rhea Edelman, Violin, and Dr. Bret Serin, Piano
1. Mary's Lament from the oratorio "Testament" (2008)
2. Agnus Dei from “Requiem” (2015)
3 Cemetery Shadows (2018) - Text by Candy Lish Fowler
4 Braided Women (2022)- Text by Candy Lish Fowler
Notes from the composer, David Featherstone:
1. Mary's Lament from the oratorio "Testament" (2008)
The Lament is a centuries-old middle-eastern form used by women grieving
the loss of loved ones. It was the only time a woman could speak out in
public without losing her life. In Greece during the 6th century governing
officials tried to ban the Lament because they feared it gave women too much
freedom.
2. Agnus Dei from the Requiem (2015)
Agnus Dei is the Latin name under which the "Lamb
of God" is honored within the Catholic Mass and other Christian liturgies.
3 Cemetery Shadows (2018)
4 Braided Women (2022)
"Cemetery Shadows" and "Braided Women" are from a collection of poems by my
dear friend, Candy Lish Fowler. Her poetry has won awards on state and
national levels. Candy was selected Utah Poet of the year with her winning
manuscript ON A ROAD THAT KNOWS ME. She garnered the Alice Morrey Award in
2022. For the prestigious Utah Division of Arts and Museums Original Writing
Competition, she was awarded second place. She also won all four categories
of the National Chaparral Poetry Forum.
At midlife, Candy’s “sentinels,” her grandmother and older aunts, told her
about the incident in "Cemetery Shadows". It was the first time she’d heard
the story. That unveiled truth helped Candy understand her relationship with
her mother and her mother’s alcohol addiction. Eventually, alcoholism stripped
everything of value from her mother until she became a diminishing shadow.
"Cemetery Shadows" and "Braided Women" reveal an ancient truth; women are
survivors braided together by more than race or culture. They’re bound by
their very souls.
- David Featherstone
David Featherstone
David Featherstone, composer and conductor, was the founder and Artistic Director of “Evening Song”, an a cappella chorus, for 17 years producing 5 CD's. David has composed numerous hymn arrangements as well as small choral works and organ arrangements, which he publishes through his publishing company, Featherstone Music.
He is an ASCAP song writer with three honorable mentions from the Billboard song writing contest, a second place award in the national LDS Church Hymn Writing Contest, and two country songs that made the Billboard charts, one of which was “Pick Hit of the Week” in 1986. He premiered his Oratorio "Testament" in 2009 and his Requiem is scheduled to be released later this year. Currently, he is Artistic Director for the Texas State Men & Boys Choir in Fort Worth, Texas, a top 40-selling classical group, that he conducted in Carnegie Hall March 15th, 2018.
David Featherstone, composer and conductor, was the founder and Artistic Director of “Evening Song”, an a cappella chorus, for 17 years producing 5 CD's. David has composed numerous hymn arrangements as well as small choral works and organ arrangements, which he publishes through his publishing company, Featherstone Music.
He is an ASCAP song writer with three honorable mentions from the Billboard song writing contest, a second place award in the national LDS Church Hymn Writing Contest, and two country songs that made the Billboard charts, one of which was “Pick Hit of the Week” in 1986. He premiered his Oratorio "Testament" in 2009 and his Requiem is scheduled to be released later this year. Currently, he is Artistic Director for the Texas State Men & Boys Choir in Fort Worth, Texas, a top 40-selling classical group, that he conducted in Carnegie Hall March 15th, 2018.