Work
The Ballad of the Canterbury Pilgrims
for soprano, tenor, baritone and piano
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About
Geoffrey Chaucer's classic set of stories, The Canterbury Tales is rich with characters from a range of England's social classes, each making a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral to visit the shrine of Saint Tomas Becket. These characters allow solos, duets and trios with the piano supporting each character's personality and plays with a descending eight bell peal of Canterbury Cathedral. A ballad structure, the song focuses on five pilgrims - the knight, his squire, the nun, the cook and a good wife. The language is a mixture of Middle English and Modern English.
Dedication note
The work is dedicated to Jamie Reimer (soprano), Kevin Hanrahan (tenor) and Jeffrey Jones (bartione).
Text note
Text by Geoffrey Chaucer.