Nights in Armor is a four-movement suite for a cappella chorus evoking the legend of King Arthur as related by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The first movement "Merlin's Riddle" is a quirky, dance-like incantation, in which the famous sorcerer prophesies Arthur's coming. The second movement "The Knight and His Queen" is an imagined poem from the knight Lancelot to Queen Guinevere expressively calls forth feelings of unfulfillable love. "Tristram's Madrigal" - Sprightly, teasing music celebrates the joys of living in the moment, boldly blind to its consequences. "Arthur's Final Words" are the words of the mortally wounded King Arthur reflecting on life and the quest for ideals; the music artfully gives life to this wisdom. |
