Abstract
'Exquisite Spirit' comprises three songs for mezzo-soprano and piano, based on poems by famous New Zealand writer, Katherine Mansfield. The songs are 'To L.H.B. (1894-1915),' 'The Sea-Child,' and 'Loneliness,' and are symbolic evocations of Mansfield’s own life experiences. The first song is about her brother who died in World War I, and the longing to be reunited. Some of the tragic darkness in Mansfield’s life is captured in the music of these songs.
Commissioned for "‘Child of the Sun’ — A Celebration of Katherine Mansfield in Song." First performed by Tessa Romano and Sherry Grant, Dunedin, September 2023.