THE BELLS

THE BELLS
Setting for Soprano and Piano
of the Poem by Edgar Allan Poe

Publisher
E. C. Schirmer Music Company

Catalog Number
8571

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Description
THE BELLS is a musical setting of the large poem by Edgar Allan Poe. Written in four sections, the poem describes bells that tinkle with merriment in the crisp wintry night air, bells ringing with a golden joy at a wedding, bells ringing in alarm at the sight of a raging fire, and the melancholy groaning of the bells as they toll at the hands of ghouls intent on terrorizing people, who shiver with fright at their sound in the night. Though Poe’s imagery is dark and sometimes frightening, it paints a colorful picture of the kaleidoscopic emotions that may arise from hearing these bringers of tidings, both good and bad.

Text
The Bells

Vocal Range
B 3  :  A 5

Duration
20′ 00″

Vocal Tessitura
A 4  :  F-sharp 5

Year of Composition
2014

First Performance
March 25, 2017
Contemporary Undercurrent of Song Project
All Saints’ Episcopal Church
Princeton, New Jersey

First Performers
Alexandra Porter, soprano
Brent Funderburk, piano