Moonlight's Watermelon

"Moonlight's Watermelon" is the third song in Hundley's song cycle Octaves and Sweet Sounds. The poet is José García Villa, who lived in Greenwich Village, New York City.

In the composer's notes included in the Boosey & Hawkes 1993 publication of the cycle, Hundley writes:

"I was immediately attracted to the poem... by the magic sound of the poet's words...For me the poem recalls my childhood living with my grandmother in Kentucky when we ate watermelon, fresh from her garden, on summer evenings." (Hundley, 1993).

--Esther Jane Hardenbergh

The audio recording provided features Esther Jane Hardenbergh, soprano, and Mutsumi Moteki, piano, and the performance took place in Salzburg, Austria on a recital for the Salzburg Chamber Concerts series.

Date: 1993Composer: Richard HundleyText: José García VillaSong Collection: Octaves and Sweet Sounds

Print vitals & song text

Text

Moonlight’s Watermelon
by José García Villa

Moonlight’s, watermelon, mellows, light,
Mellowly. Water, mellows, moon, lightly.
Water, mellows, melons, brightly.
Moonlight’s mellow, to, water’s, sight.
Yes, and, water, mellows, soon,
Quick, as, mellows, the, mellow, moon.
Water, mellows, as, mellows, melody,
Moon, has, its, mellow, secrecy.
Moonlight’s, moon, has, the, mellow,
Secrecy, of, mellowing, water’s water-
Melons, mellowly. Moonlight’s, a, mellow,
Mellower, being, moon’s, mellow, daughter.
Moonlight’s, melody, alone, has, secrecy,
To, make, watermelons, sweet, and, juicy.

Audio

Track:

    Sheet Music

    Octaves and Sweet Sounds (High Voice)

    Composer(s): Richard Hundley

    Song(s): 1. Strings in the Earth and Air Text: James Joyce
    2. Seashore Girls Text: E. E. Cummings
    3. Moonlight's Watermelon Text: Jose Garcia Villa
    4. Straightway Beauty On Me Waits Text: James Purdy
    5. Well Welcome Text: Gertrude Stein

    Voice Type: High

    Buy via Boosey & Hawkes

    Octaves and Sweet Sounds (Medium Voice)

    Composer(s): Richard Hundley

    Song(s): 1. Strings in the Earth and Air Text: James Joyce
    2. Seashore Girls Text: E. E. Cummings
    3. Moonlight's Watermelon Text: Jose Garcia Villa
    4. Straightway Beauty On Me Waits Text: James Purdy
    5. Well Welcome Text: Gertrude Stein

    Voice Type: Medium

    Buy via Boosey & Hawkes

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