Jul 18

Jul 18 NEWS: songSLAM Songbook, vol. 1

We are excited to announce the publication of the songSLAM Songbook, vol. 1, now available from New Music Shelf. The anthology contains sixteen pieces debuted at seven of our songSLAM competitions.

First premiered in NYC in 2015, the songSLAM has now been or will be presented in four countries and 10 different cities around the globe: NYC, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Ljubljana, Ann Arbor, Cincinnati, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Buffalo, with even more growth on the horizon. The songbook, curated by Erika Switzer and Martha Guth, is a selection of the most promising songs premiered since its inception. Many of them were prize winners, though not all.

The songbook contains:

“Nothing At All” by Daniel Castellanos and Henry-Scott Holland, 2019
“Stars” by Abigail de Niverville and Marjorie Pickthall, 2018
“O sea starved Hungry Sea” by Natalie Draper and William Shakespeare, 2017
“In New York” by Whitney George and Johnny Call, 2017
“One Good Life” by Wally Gunn and Maria Zajkowski, 2017
“Tikka Masala” by Meg Huskin, 2019
“Walking past a window…” by Felix Jarrar and Bea Goodwin, 2017
“Al Claro de Luna” by Laurence Jobidon and Delmira Agustini, 2018
“Today there is a spring in me” by Isaac Lovdahl, 2018
“Crepuscule” by Liam Moore and e.e. cummings, 2017
“at this time I could not breathe like the others” by Haley Olsen, 2017
“Big Sky” by Nathan Scalise, Jordan Bowman and Madelein Bowman, 2018-2019
“Ko te ni (When you are not here)” by Tilen Slakan and Jakob Barbo, 2019
“Invictus” by Evan L. Snyder and William Ernest Henley, 2017
“Oh HELL No” by Dennis Tobenski and Maggie Smith, 2017
“I carry your heart” by Jason Weisinger and e.e. cummings, 2016.

Sparks and Wiry Cries

Named in reference to a poem by Paul Goodman, Sparks & Wiry Cries began in 2009 as a podcast and online magazine with a vision to contextualize art song in the sharing of recordings, interviews, and articles by prominent artists and scholars. In 2012, the Casement Fund, Ltd. encouraged co-founders Martha Guth and Erika Switzer to expand their vision and curate an art song recital series based in New York City. In 2015, Sparks received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and grew to include the songSLAM competition and a commissioning program. Today, through our international songSLAMs. sparksLIVE events and Art Song Magazine, we are actively engaging in current conversations through insightful publishing, programming, and commissioning.