Peace & Laments
A meditation on war, a world out of balance, and fragile peace

This burgeoning project is inspired by the Great Poet and Culture Heroine, the Morrigan of ancient Irish story. My text is a fusion of two women from the Irish sagas: Brig and the Morrigan. Both Brig (later becoming Brigid) and the Morrigan appear in The Second Battle of Mag Tuired. The Morrigan is a complex being from the Irish sagas. She is often interpreted as a “war goddess,” but the tales seem to point to her role as Poet of the People/Tribe, a powerful ancestor figure and culture heroine. My ideas and lyrics-libretto-text is inspired by the Old Irish two prophetic poems of the Morrigan from The Second Battle of Mag Tuired.

white ravens flock in branches
sing and chatter; caw and call
claw at my center, catch at my edges
— time stops time stops time —

On April 18, I realized a version of this new work with harpist Caitlin Mehertens. The piece is semi-improvised and features my libretto. For the concert, I reduced the work to about eight. minutes from what will likely be a 20-30 minute monodrama. Rhapsode Guild: music & multi-arts collective / Loop38 / 5th Annual Contemporary Music Festival.

Misha Penton, soprano, words, concept, with harpist Caitlin Mehrtens.
40 second glimpse of the performance:

Concert Teaser