Poetry and Choral Music

April is National Poetry Month—a special reason to focus on an art form that the choral community celebrates year-round. For many choral composers, the text comes first, and the poetry they use for inspiration can be found in unexpected places. Libby Larsen's song cycle based on letters written by female Wild West celebrity Calamity Jane to her daughter, the subject of a recent Composer's Datebook program, is a great example of poetry coming from unusual sources. For more on Larsen and her thoughts on setting text, check out this article on the Chorus America website.