DESCRIPTION:
Willow Song (from Othello)
Music by Gustav Hoyer
Words by William Shakespeare

Catherine Laub, soprano
Melane Adams, mezzo-soprano
Jeff Pelletier, flute
Christine Lin, violin
Albertina Chan, harp

Willow Song (Othello)
The poor soul sat singing by a sycamore tree.
Sing all a green willow:
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow:
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur’d her moans;
Sing all a green willow my garland must be.

Composers Note: The Willow Song is
based upon a song in the play Othello.
The doomed Desdamona sings this song
in a foreshadowing of her own impending
death. The original text is an alternation
between the narrative thread and a sort
of mini-refrain. The narrative describes
a lonely girl by a sycamore tree singing
to a stream flowing by, while the refrain
evokes the sorrowful image of a willow
tree. This song re-orders the text, and
divides it between a musical picture of
the girl who is a type of Desdamona, and
a narrator who relates her sad story. The
accompaniment evokes the bubbling of
the river as it flows past the sorrowful
singer.

Gustav Hoyer was born in Denver,
Colorado in 1972. He grew up hearing
equal part American Pop music and
Classical masterpieces. He began his
music education in earnest after attending
a high school course in music theory.
From there he went on to study piano
and composition at the University of
Arizona, Colorado State University-
Pueblo, Aspen Music Festival and School
and the Hartt School, where he received
his Master’s degree in composition. He
has studied with Jack Smalley, Jeff Rona,
John Corigliano, George Tsontakis,
James Sellars, Rex Woods and Victoria
Markowski. He has been the recipient of
several awards, including the Masterworks
Prize and an ASCAPLUS award.