About This Offer

This Grammy-winning song cycle “Winter Morning Walks” features nine spectacular poems from Pulitzer Prize-winning and US poet laureate Ted Kooser from his book Winter Morning Walks: One Hundred Postcards to Jim Harrison.

Recorded by the great soprano, Dawn Upshaw, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, along with bassist, Jay Anderson, pianist, Frank Kimbrough, and alto/bass clarinet player, Scott Robinson, Winter Morning Walks (the album) received 3 Grammy Awards: best vocal performance, best classical composition, and best engineered album (classical).

Composed for string orchestra, soprano, and three music jazz musicians, the music displays a lot of flexibility in timing, and it was performed by the Australian Chamber Orchestra without conductor, but Maria has conducted it as well.

Along with the score, you will receive streamed access to video of Maria talking about the composing of each of these songs and how the poetry inspired her. 

SOLOS

The piano and the alto/bass clarinet each have solo improvisatory moments, and jazz bass part is called on to be improvisatory and decorative as well.

INSTRUMENTATION

Soprano
Violin I (5 players)
Violin II (5 players)
Viola (3 players)
Violoncello (3 players)
Contrabass (C ext) (1 player)
Players requiring jazz and classical sensibilities below:
Rhythm bass
Woodwinds (alto clarinet/bass clarinet)
Piano