Songs: River Work

River Work

Out of its cliff the river is
Fallen steep and cut away
In channels longing to be free
Tangled in stones through mud unravelling
Removed, diverted, plunging on
To leap and empty and convene
To eddy, twist and flatten out
By straits that leave the ebb-tide, greet the flow
And spread the plain with fine cut rocks
To meet the moon's still quiet

"...a recital by the Okeanos ensemble brought the premiere of Anthony Powers’s Riverwork, a setting for the fetching combination of mezzo-soprano (Karina Lucas), oboe, viola and harp of a short poem by Irene Noel-Baker. Powers’s sinuous counterpoint beautifully captured the ripple and cascade of water. The piece was ravishingly well heard and all too brief."

Paul Driver (from The Sunday Times)
November 23, 2008 - the Sunday Times review

original article