SharleePlett.com
Sharlee Plett’s Tips, Ideas, and Creative Endeavors

In mid 2003 I received an email from Adrian Lucas, Choirmaster of the Worcester Choral Society, one of the oldest and most prestigious choirs In England.

He wanted my permission to use the lyrics of my poem, “Creation,” which I had posted on my website, Sharlee.com, in his choral work, Creation Canticles, which was to be performed by the Worcester Choral Society.  I granted him permission to use the lyrics.

Several months later Adrian sent me the completed score in a PDF.  I stored it away, thinking it was wonderful that the Internet had made it possible for me to publish my work, and for him to find and put it to use in such a beautiful way.

You can read the lyrics of the poem on my website.  Be sure to watch the flash version of it too, created for me by Lorri Lee Arnason.  The link is on the poem’s page.

http://sharlee.com/poemcreation.htm 

The Creation Canticles was performed in 2004,  and received wonderful reviews.

Here are a couple of them:

West Midlands Network - Making Music
Regional Bulletin May 2004
www.makingmusic.org.uk/westmidlands

Adrian Lucas took over the WORCESTER FESTIVAL CHORAL SOCIETY in 1996 and last year, following in the footsteps of both David Willcocks and Christopher Robinson, he became conductor of the CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CHOIR also.

He has been increasingly drawn to composition in recent years and, although his Creation Canticles is his largest work to date, he has written a number of smaller scale pieces, including a 25 minute carol sequence, Noel, for upper voices, harp and organ. He will be writing a Te Deum for the opening service next year’s Three Choirs Festival.

The texts for Creation Canticles are taken from the contemporary American poet, Sharlee Plett, John Dryden, A.E. Russell, Edmond Holmes and the final number is from St Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Sun.

In the programme note Adrian Lucas comments that the work aims to be a set of reflections on the wonders of creation, rather than a chronological portrayal of events, and its direct choral writing, colourful orchestration and sense of mystery left a big impression with the listener. Surely here is a work that should be taken up by other choral societies.

From the Worcester Choral Society’s Website
http://www.worcesterfestivalchoralsociety.org.uk/

The Worcester Festival Choral Society is the leading promoter of major concerts in Worcester. As well as being one of the oldest, it is one of most highly-regarded choirs in the country and has a singing membership of about 200. It presents about three major prestigious concerts each year, highlights in the Worcestershire Music and Arts scene.

The Society commissioned a major choral work from Adrian Lucas, Creation Canticles, which was given it’s highly successful premiere in 2004.

The other night I decided to take Mr. Christy, my 3 month old tabby kitten out for a walk.  It was very late and the streets were deserted.  Mr. Christy was delighted with being out, head and ears flicking every which way to catch the different night sounds. 

He led me up the stairs at the front of a condo and dropped to his belly and froze, perfectly still except for a tiny twitching of his tail, intently watching something in the grassy area in front of him.  I wondered what he was doing and decided to follow his lead.  As we waited completely motionless, a black tail appeared behind a garden rock, waving back and forth. 

My night vision adjusting, I could finally see what Mr. Christy had seen immediately; a young skunk sniffing around in the garden, his tail waving in the air, nose to the ground.  As we watched, the skunk investigated the entire garden area, finally shuffling off into another yard and out of site.

We continued down the street, with Mr. Christy leading us into a large parking lot behind a local hall.  Again, he suddenly dropped to his belly and froze, watching the far corner of the lot.  I crouched beside him and strained to see what he had spotted.  This time it was a possum ambling along the far wall.  We watched as the possum moved out of sight into some bushes in the next lot.

We were on the move again, Mr. Christy hyper alert with twitching ears and sudden stops as he saw through his night eyes.  With a sudden leap he jumped up a telephone pole beside us, cat climbing up the side and just as suddenly dropping to the ground, ready to pounce, tail fluffed out and hackles up.  He had knocked down an enormous black widow spider from the telephone pole and was all set to attack it.  I picked him up and soothed him as we walked away.  I don’t think my little cat would have survived a bite from a black widow!

What’s amazing about all this is that if I had been alone I would never have seen these creatures of the night.  Only being out with my little kitten with his incredible night vision and hearing made it possible for me to see them!

Today Mr. Christy surprised me with what seems to be a love fest!

He was sitting on the floor looking up at me with an obviously affectionate gaze, quietly meowing to have me pick him up.   I brought him up on my lap and petted him behind his ears, one of his favorite spots. 

He responded by standing on his hind legs and putting his forepaws on either side of my neck, pressing the entire length of his belly against my chest and nuzzling his cheek against the side of my face.  Purring loudly enough to be heard in another room, he begain to lick my face, eyes slitted and obviously in some form of feline ecstacy.  As he gave me his kitten kisses, he began gently kneading my skin with his paws. 

I stroked his fur and told him he was a beautiful little cat.  After several minutes of this extraordinary display of affection he dropped back down into my lap, curled up and went to sleep.  I swear he was smiling!