Composer

:

John Greer

Genre

:

Vocal

Average_duration

:

16:25

Movement_count

:

6

Movement ....

A Sarah Binks Songbook (The Sweet Songstress of Saskatchewan) is a song cycle composed by John Greer in 1992. The work is based on the poetry of Canadian author Paul Hiebert, who wrote under the pseudonym of Sarah Binks. The song cycle was premiered on November 14, 1992, at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Canada. The song cycle consists of ten movements, each of which is a setting of one of Hiebert's poems. The movements are titled "The Sweet Songstress of Saskatchewan," "The Ballad of Sarah Binks," "The Lament of the Prairie," "The Prairie Wife," "The Prairie Schoolmarm," "The Prairie Spinster," "The Prairie Poetess," "The Prairie Widow," "The Prairie Mother," and "The Prairie Daughter." The music of A Sarah Binks Songbook is characterized by its simplicity and directness. Greer's settings of Hiebert's poems are straightforward and unadorned, allowing the beauty of the poetry to shine through. The music is tonal and melodic, with a folk-like quality that reflects the rural setting of the poems. The vocal writing in A Sarah Binks Songbook is also notable for its clarity and expressiveness. Greer's settings are sensitive to the nuances of Hiebert's poetry, and the vocal lines are crafted to bring out the emotional depth of the text. The piano accompaniment is similarly understated, providing a supportive backdrop for the voice without overwhelming it. Overall, A Sarah Binks Songbook is a charming and evocative work that captures the spirit of the Canadian prairies and the poetry of Paul Hiebert. Greer's music is a perfect match for Hiebert's words, and the result is a song cycle that is both beautiful and moving.

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