Lee Grue has been part of the poetry scene in New Orleans for over 50 years. So after publishing her first novel, writing words to music has become the latest exploration in her storied career. It was her idea to write a piece of music based on the river. After a life living by the river, and having a family full of riverboat pilots, it became obvious to invent a musical work dedicated to this world altering waterway, and the city that sits by it – a city celebrating its 300th anniversary.
Inspired by Lee’s penchant for the sound of string and bow, composer John Stak has sought to recreate the sound of the river, using the fluidity of the string quartet, while letting the vocal lines resound the tales. The string quartet is the river. It represents the ebb, the flow, the currents, and the contrary currents as waves pass in all directions. Swirling eddies, crashing water, fog above the water, and the sound from below the water, are all the soundscapes explored.
The total time for the entire work will be around 1 hour. It is written for string quartet and soprano vocalist, with a reinforcing backing singer. There will also be recordings of river life, interviews with boat captains, and bits of electronic composition constructed from these recordings. These will be scattered throughout, along with spoken poetry. The DVD will also contain interviews with the river denizens as a means of documenting their stories. This is designed to be a celebration for the 300th anniversary of New Orleans.