Music

Music Albums (currently in production)

1.  Songs of Moon and Mischief — Emily directed a concert consisting of 26 songs that she had composed or arranged, 25 for treble voices and 1 chamber music piece for violin, cello, piano.  Featuring all the songs performed at this concert, the album Songs of Moon and Mischief will be available in late 2014.  The texts of the songs come from a wide range of influences: poetry written by amazing contemporary speculative writers like Catherynne M. Valente, Rose Lemberg, Amal El-Mohtar, Shweta Narayan, and many more.  Included is a set called “A Pentatonic Moon,” a series of five songs using texts that are English translations of five different poems written by five different poets (two women & three men) who lived in China during the Tang Dynasty over 1000 years ago.  “A Pentatonic Moon” can be read and heard for free at Interfictions!

2.  Songs for Summoning the Phoenix, a companion musical album to the picture book Summoning the Phoenix: Poems and Prose about Chinese Musical Instruments, published by Shen’s Books.  Chinese musical instruments featured in the book and CD include erhu (Chinese violin), pipa (lute), yangqin (hammered dulcimer), dizi (flute), guzheng, several percussion instruments, and many more. Songs for Summoning the Phoenix will be available in spring 2014.

PERFORMANCES

March, 2013 – Voices of Women – The San Francisco Choral Artists, directed by Magen Soloman, perform “Moon” and “Moonlight” in their Voices of Women concerts.  “Jiang’s sense for text-setting (assuredly driven by her experience as a poet) is impeccable.” –Magee Van Speybroeck of the San Francisco Classical Voice.  Read the rest of the concert review.

October, 2012 – Songs of Moon and Mischief – Debut Composer’s Concert directed by Emily Jiang and performed by the composer, friends, and family. Emily is grateful for the almost 100 people who attended this concert and especially for this concert’s 13 performers: Sara Asher, Victoria Chang, Lisa Collart, Charlotte Daly, Hannah Druckman, Sarah Etheredge, Beatrice Fanning, KC Jiang, Yiting Jin, Cathleen Kalcic, Elise Kent, Renee Ting, Mary Tusa.   A CD featuring all the songs in this concert is currently in the works, and the songs are listed below.

SCORES below are available to interested musicians and choral directors.  Please use the Contact Form at the end of this page.

CHORAL WORKS – TREBLE VOICES 

1. Anthropomorphism:  Contemporary and Surreal – Text by Living Speculative Poets (Words in English unless otherwise specified)
   • “The Bears Are Working” (SSSAAA) poem by Shweta Narayan [3’30”]
   • “Persephone the Poet” (SSSAAA) text excerpted from “A Silver Splendour, a Flame: Act I” by Catherynne M. Valente [7’30”]
   • “Ophelia and the River” (SSAA) text excerpted from The Honey Month by Amal El-Mohtar [1’30”]
   • “The Princess and the Frog Prince” (SSAA) text from “Transformations” by Mari Ness [1’30”]
   • “Walrus” (SSA) poem by Rose Lemberg [1″]
   • “Harbour in Penryn” (SSSAAA) text in English & French excerpted from The Honey Month by Amal El-Mohtar [2′]
   • “Do Not Pet the Dinosaurs” (SA with piano) text from “The Mezopetomic Tour Guide” by Ken Liu [1’30”]
   • “What Comes After Rain (SSA) text by E. Lily Yu [3’30”]
2. Revising Emily Dickinson
   • “Will There Really be a Morning?” (SSA) poem by Emily Dickinson [2’30”]
   • “Nobody” (SSA with piano) poem “I’m Nobody, Who Are You?” by Emily Dickinson [1′]
   • “Nobody Knows (This Little Rose)” (SA with piano) poem by Emily Dickinson [1’30”]
   • “Beauty Is” (SSAA) text by Emily Dickinson [3′]
   • “I Shall Keep Singing!” (SSAA) poem by Emily Dickinson [2’30”]
3. A Pentatonic Moon:  Five Chinese Poems Written by Five Poets (2 women & 3 men) from the Tang Dynasty in Translation — This set of translations & songs can be heard for free at Interfictions.
   • “Moon” (SSAA) poem by Xue Tao (768-831), English trans. by C. L. & Emily Jiang [1′]
   • “Moonlight” (SSAA) poem by Li Bai (701-762), English trans. by C. L. & Emily Jiang [1’30”]
   • “Pavilion” (SSAA) poem excerpt by Yu Xuanji (855-871), English trans. by C. L. & Emily Jiang [1′]
   • “Lodge” (SSAA) poem by Wang Wei (699-759), English trans. by C.L. & Emily Jiang [1′]
   • “Full Moon” (SSAA) poem by Du Fu (712-770), English trans. by C.L. & Emily Jiang [2′]
   • Bonus Pentatonic Song Song: “West Cliff” (SSAA) poem by Xue Tao (758-831), English trans. by C.L. & Emily Jiang [2′]
4. New Melodies for Traditional Latin Texts – No one speaks Latin anymore, but so many SING it
   • “Ave Maria” (SSAA) text in Latin [3′]
   • “Ave Maris Stella” (SSA) text in Latin (in progress)
   • “Alelluia” (SSA) text in Latin (in progress)
5. Arrangements of Traditional Chinese Songs
   • “Green Island Serenade” (SSAA with piano & optional flute) traditional Chinese song, text in Mandarin [3’20”]
   • “Two Tigers” (SA) traditional Chinese song, text in Mandarin [1′]
   • “Jasmine Flower Song” (SA with piano) traditional Chinese song, text in Mandarin [3′]

CHORAL WORKS – SATB

• “Ave Maria” text in Latin [3′]
• “O Rose” text by Amal El-Mohtar (in progress)
• “Ophelia and the River” text by Amal El-Mohtar (in progress)

ART SONGS (mezzo soprano, can be transcribed by request)

• “Salamander’s Song” text by Rose Lemberg (entire poem & music published by Strange Horizons.  Read and listen here.)
• “Alexander Von Humbolt Visits the Moon” poem by Sharon Mock

CHAMBER WORKS

• Trio for Violin, Cello, Piano inspired by Korean folk songs

[si-contact-form form=’3′]