Mezzo-soprano and piano duet link women and cacti in a powerful duet
Mezzo soprano and piano accompaniment
Text: Pat Mora
Desert Women, the final song in the song cycle, ‘Desert Songs’, uses extended vocal technique to honour ancient women and a timeless experience. Becky moves beyond the bel canto tradition of open vowels to explore the power of resonant consonants and harmonics with the female voice.
Desert Women’s imagery is the parallel survival of women and cacti. The deeper meaning is explored in the piano, orchestrating the mood of sound echoing between walls of huge canyons under unrelentingly hot domes of sun.
This duet is Becky’s homage to the incredible power in silence, the lineage of knowingness of women, who in the tough struggle to survive, can actually thrive and bloom.
Written in 1995, this 3-minute song is suitable for advanced singers and pianists.
Listen to a sample of Desert Women with Rosie Glow and Gabriella Smart
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Where to buy
You can purchase Desert Women directly from Becky by emailing her: