Dominick DiOrio: I Am
This musical setting of the famous Mary Elizabeth Frye poem Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep begins very placidly, and takes the refrain of I Am as a mantra for existence. The use of a dramatic Soprano solo is both a musical and theatrical choice, with the soloist communicating as if from beyond death to those still alive. The chorus is also a character interaction, at times reclusive or electric, but always with a steely presence.
