I was immediately drawn to the quartet’s poignant, intimate and expressive sound world, the evocative and hauntingly beautiful voice of contralto Karen Clark and the poetry of Henry David Thoreau whose words so thoroughly capture the transcendental spirit of nineteenth century New England life. Living and working in the high hills of rural New Hampshire provided a synergy of poetry and music that formed an ideal union to help frame the mood, character and direction of this work. Joseph Schwantne...

• I "Each More Melodious Note I Hear"
• II "I Was Born Upon thy Bank River" · "The Poet's Delay"
• III "I Mark the Summer's Swift Decline"
• IV "A Winter and Spring Scene"
• V "Hymn for Bruce
• Dies Irae"
• VI "Low-anchored Cloud" · "Old Meeting-House Bell"