Cousin Silas and I enjoyed collaborating so much on that project, that we (mostly he) came up with a really interesting release based on the Rachel Rising poetry, adding a couple of other spoken word goodies as well. The project, released in early May 2012 (just in time for Cousin’s birthday!), is called The Devil Came to Me.

We called the collaboration “Rebekkah’s Cousin Silas” and plan to do more. Go ahead, give it a listen! We’re proud of it, and hope you enjoy it.

We’ll hear Janne Hanhisuanto’s ICESCAPES in its entirety, a stunning long form work inspired by a series of photographs of a land locked in ice.

We’ll also hear tracks from the Wandering Ear release MELT : MINNESOTA REMIXED, which is a collection of environmental field recordings that have been taken and altered by ambient artists.

And once the ice is melted, we’ll listen to Bolander’s THE CENTER OF THE LAKE ON A QUIET AFTERNOON, an amazing long form ambient epic that is as photographic as its name suggests.

This first episode of At Water’s Edge explores ambient experimental music that takes advantage of environmental sounds to create soundscapes that go well beyond the usual comfort of light ambient music and make us consider what, exactly, is music…

Image: Shiraz Art Festival: David Tudor (left) and John Cage performing at the 1971 festival.(Photo courtesy Cunningham Dance Foundation archive)

Ms. Hilgraves also teaches private voice lessons and a course called “The Soul of Singing: An Intensive Course in the Psycho-Spirituality of Singing” in New York City and Knoxville, as well as offering private lessons in Knoxville, Tennessee through Studio Voix-LA!

Classical

Rebekkah Hilgraves actively performs in numerous operas, solo recitals and as a guest concert artist in venues throughout the United States. She gave the premiere performance of a new work, Rachel Rising (text by Rebekkah, and music by Rob Deemer) in October 2008 in Maryville, Tennessee, just outside of Knoxville. In and around New York City, she has performed the roles of “Violetta” in Verdi’s La Traviata (Little Opera Company of New Jersey, 2006), “Rachel” in the world premiere of The Eglantine by Sam Belich (New York City, 2005), “Elisabetta” in Verdi’s Don Carlo (Opera Drammatica, 2004), “Gerhilde” in Wagner’s Die Walküre (The Valkyrie Project, 2005 and Opera Drammatica, 2004), the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica (Chelsea Opera, 2004 and American Singers Opera Project, 2003), and has performed the soprano solo in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass (Ars Musica Orchestra and Chorale, 2002). In 2003, she also received “Honorable Mention” by the Amici Vocal Competition in Connecticut.

Elsewhere around the U.S., she has appeared as soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic (2007), Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra (1998, 1999, 2000) and with Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers (1999, 2000), as well as being a founding member of the women’s vocal ensemble, The Sisters (1998-2000). She presents frequent solo recitals in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Buffalo, and New York City.

Ms. Hilgraves’ current repertoire covers a broad range of languages and styles, and includes “Lady Macbeth” in Verdi’s Macbeth, “Leonore” in Beethoven’s Fidelio, “Donna Elvira” in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Richard Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs), Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, as well as song repertoire in French, German, Italian, English, Latin, and Czech. She is also preparing the mélodies by French composer Charles Bordes (1863-1909) for recording, having presented many in their American premieres.

The soprano has been named “Best Actress in a Musical” by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Circle for the leading role in an original work with the Lamplighters, itself an award-winning light opera company in San Francisco. Ms. Hilgraves has starred in operas and light operas, including in L’Étoile by Chabrier (Princess Laoula) with Pocket Opera (San Francisco); the title role in Princess Ida by Gilbert and Sullivan (Lamplighters); the Second Prioress (Madame Lidoine) in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites; “Helen” in Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters by Ned Rorem.

Critics have acclaimed Ms. Hilgraves with “…an opulently effulgent tone…” (John Hammell, Mozart to Motorhead, 2005), “…a gorgeous soprano who can act.” (San Francisco Review, 1996), “…this vivacious soprano…” (John Bell Young, distinguished pianist and critic, Opera News, American Record Guide, 1999) and “…ample and ringing. Lovely! … in your ecstatic transports the grasp of the scholar is transmuted into the lyric flair—the richly nuanced aperçus–of the artist.” (Adrian Corleonis, Fanfare Magazine, Sounds of Seattle, 1999).

Jazz

Ms. Hilgraves has appeared as a jazz vocalist in venues around North America. Her jazz career is nearly as long-lived as her classical career. Under the careful instruction of the great jazz musicians Scotty Wright (San Francisco) and Robert Murphy (North Carolina), and studying the work of jazz greats Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and others, she successfully moves from classical singing to jazz and back again at will.

She can be heard on a recording by Los Caribes, a Buffalo-based Latin jazz group headed by Michael Colquhoun. Michael’s review of Rebekkah’s work was: “…you are currently listed as Coro under percussion – that’s gonna change to a listing under Brass considering Your VOICE girl! I can hear you from here!!”

Rebekkah Hilgraves, soprano
Valerie Blair, piano

Guest appearances by:

Ramses Bugarin, clarinet
Beth Bryngelson, flute

Myron Myers, bass (NIU faculty)

The selections below are also now available for download here.

Franz Schubert (1797-1828):

An die Musik
Die Forelle
Gretchen am Spinnrade

Henry Purcell (1659-1695):

Resistance is but vain (with Myron Myers)

Samuel Barber (1910-1981):

Hermit Songs

I – At St. Patrick’s Purgatory
II – Church bell at night, III – St. Ita’s vision
IV – The heavenly banquet
V – The crucifixion
VI – Sea-snatch
VII – Promiscuity
VIII – A monk and his cat
IX – The praises of God
X – A desire for hermitage

Lester Trimble (1923-1986)

Four Fragments from the Canterbury Tales (with Ramses Bugarin and Beth Bryngelson)

I – Prologe
II – A Knyght
III – A Yong Squier
IV – The wyf of biside bath

James R. Carlson (1972- )

‘Lovely Luna’ from Love the Haven of Peace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsCFW-Nytkw

Hermit Songs: I – “At St. Patrick’s Purgatory” (Samuel Barber). Recorded at Northern Illinois University, October 2009. Pianist: Valerie Blair.

“Die Forelle” (Franz Schubert). Recorded at Northern Illinois University, October 2009. Pianist: Valerie Blair.

‘Lovely Luna’ from Love the Haven of Peace (James R. Carlson) This song is from my own poetry cycle, Love the Haven of Peace, completed in 2009. This particular poem was written in honor of the birth of a beautiful baby girl named Luna, the daughter of some dear friends. You can read the poem here (http://arslirica.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/lovely-luna/).

“An die Musik” (Franz Schubert)

“Una macchia, e qui tutt’ora” (sample) from Verdi’s MACBETH

“Una macchia, e qui tutt’ora” (complete) from Verdi’s MACBETH

VII – “There! A beacon of light” from RACHEL RISING

“Pace, pace mio dio” from Verdi’s LA FORZA DEL DESTINO

“Senza mamma” from Puccini’s SUOR ANGELICA (edit)

“Es gibt ein Reich” from R. Strauss’ ARIADNE AUF NAXOS

“Abscheulicher!” from FIDELIO (finale)

“L’Invitation au voyage” by Henri Duparc

“An die Musik” (Schubert)

Brahms: Sonata No. 1 for violin & piano– I. Vivace ma non troppo

Novoveska: Remembrance

Novoveska: Day After Day

“Una macchia, e qui tutt’ora” (sample) from Verdi’s MACBETH

Michael Nyman: Theme from the film “The Piano”

Erich Korngold: Incidental music for “Much Ado About Nothing”

James R. Carlson: “When the Heart Starts Singing”

Samuel Barber: “Sure On This Shining Night”

Vittorio Monti: Czardas

César Franck: “Panis Angelicus”