Five Soliloquies
Ballads for treble voice, cello, and piano
I. A Garden on the Moor
II. Wishes
III. Just Suppose
IV. I'll Wait for You
V. The Ballad of Anne Bonny
- YEAR: 1998 – 2002 (individual songs)
2005 (song cycle arrangement) - TEXTS: Leanna Kirchoff, Randy Latimer, Mark Rosenwinkel, Jerry Seifert
- DURATION: 20 minutes (entire cycle)
- THEMES: belonging, finding one’s place in the world, garden imagery, rebirth, hope, following your dreams
TEXTS:
(Texts for “The Garden on the Moor”, “Wishes”, and “The Ballad of Anne Bonny” are reprinted below)
“The Garden on the Moor”
Lyrics by Leanna Kirchoff and Jerry Seifert
Music by Leanna Kirchoff
(Originally commissioned and produced by
Stages Theatre Company, Hopkins, Minnesota)
It happened a long time ago in a secret place, a secret garden.
The place I found what gave me joy,
with a bit of earth, a little seed, a gentle rain and the warm sun
And love, love I planted
Hope, hope I planted
Life, life I planted in the garden, the garden on the moor.
When my life ended suddenly in a secret place, a secret garden,
I left behind what gave me joy,
in a bit of earth, with a little seed, and a gentle rain and a lot of sun
And the love, the love I planted
Hope, the hope I planted
Life, the life I planted
Love, love I planted
Love, love is blooming
Love, love waits there for you forever and ever and ever
in the garden on the moor.
“Wishes”
Lyrics by Leanna Kirchoff and Jerry Seifert
Music by Leanna Kirchoff
(Originally commissioned and produced by
Stages Theatre Company, Hopkins, Minnesota)
I’d wish for a dream instead of a nightmare
I’d wish for a lullaby Mummy would sing to me
I’d wish for a kiss instead of an angry stare
That’s what I’d wish for.
I’d wish for a home, a home to call my own
A family to hold me and tell me I belong
And for sisters and brothers to play with and laugh with
That’s what I’d wish for.
Or just someone to love, something to do and something to hope for
That’s what I’d wish for
That’s what I’d wish for
That’s what I’d wish…
“The Ballad of Anne Bonny”
Lyric and music by Leanna Kirchoff
From the shores of good ol’ Ireland to the Caribbean seas
I sailed across the ocean to American colonies,
And in all my days of travel and in everything I’ve seen
My life has been just as good as any I could dream.
I’ve lived a man’s adventures
I’ve led a pirate band
I’ve killed for stolen treasure with a swift sword in my hand,
And all this time as a woman I’ve been more than I seem
My life has been just as good as any I could dream.
And I’ll follow my dreams when the sun rises
Follow my dreams when the sun sets
I’ll follow my dreams in the good times
In the bad I’ll never regret
I followed my dreams like a pirate steals her treasure then sails away
I’ll follow my dreams far beyond the end of my days.
Now my love came a callin’
Like a bird in the morning sky
And to deeds of wreck and plunder
it was time to say goodbye.
As a wife, a mother, and grandmother give me joy to this very day
But thinkin’ back on all my life
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And I’ll follow my dreams when the sun rises
Follow my dreams when the sun sets
I’ll follow my dreams in the good times
and in the bad times I’ll never regret
That I followed my dreams like a pirate steals her treasure then sails away
And I’ll follow my dreams far beyond the end of my days.
I’ll follow my dreams when the sun rises
Follow my dreams when the sun sets
I’ll follow my dreams in the good times
And in the bad times I’ll never regret
That I followed my dreams like a pirate steals her treasure then sails away
And I’ll follow my dreams far beyond the end of my days.
I’ll follow my dreams far beyond end of my days,
I’ll follow my dreams far beyond the end of my days.
PROGRAM NOTES:
Five Soliloquies is a medley of ballads from several musicals I composed during 1998-2002. Although derived from different musicals, in their original context, each ballad is sung by a female character at a significant point of self reflection. Performed together, the five ballads relate a feminine perspective on issues of growing up, growing old and saying goodbye.
- The first two songs of the set come from a musical adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s book, The Secret Garden. In “A Garden on the Moor,” the Ghost of Lilly tells about her frequent visits to her favorite garden and the accident that claimed her own life, but left behind her only child, Colin.
- The main character of The Secret Garden, Mary Lennox, comes to live with her recluse uncle in England. Her parents had died in India during an outbreak of cholera. Alone and in strange new surroundings, she sings about her deepest desires for belonging in the song, “Wishes.”
- “Just Suppose” comes from a musical adaptation of the book, Making the Team, by Minnesota author Nancy Carlson. In the story, LouAnne tries to discover where her talents lie as she auditions for ballet, theatre, choir and the cheerleading squad. Unsuccessful in being accepted into any of these groups, LouAnne raises the question to herself if she’ll ever find the place where she belongs.
- Sara Crewe, the lead character from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s book, The Little Princess, will have to wait for her father to return from India. In a poignant opening scene from a musical adaptation, Sara says goodbye to her father and she remains at a London orphanage. The song “I’ll Wait for You” is perhaps even more sobering in knowing Sara will never see her father again.
- According to historical documents, female pirate, Anne Bonny grew up in Ireland around 1700. In her teens she joined Calico Jack Rackham’s band of pirates sailing in Caribbean waters. After being captured by the Royal Navy in 1720, Anne was tried in Port Royal, Jamaica, but given amnesty due to being pregnant. At this point in her story what happened to Anne Bonny is a matter of legend. One theory, as suggested in the song “ The Ballad of Anne Bonny” is that she left a pirate way of life, married and came to colonial America. As the last piece of Five Soliloquies, Anne reflects with the conviction that her life has been just as good as any dream.
PREMIERE:
MB Krueger, soprano; James Fittz, cello, Nanette Shannon, piano
February 15, 2005
Metropolitan State College of Denver
Denver, CO
Other performances:
Melissa Malde, soprano; James Fittz, cello; Vergie Amendola, piano
March 1, 2006
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO
Megan Buness, soprano; Richard VonFoerster, cello; Nan Shannon, piano
July 14, 2009
Colorado College
Colorado Spring, CO
MB Krueger, soprano; James Fittz, cello; Linda Mack, piano
September 23, 2022
St. Andrew’s Music Program fundraiser
Mountain View Gardens
Denver, CO