Composed by Erin C. Blake

Performed by NOTUS Contemporary Vocal Ensemble on March 22nd, 2024

Auer Hall, Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, IN

Conducted by Ryan Rogers

First Prize, 2024 NOTUS Student Composition Contest

Gacela de la muerte oscura (Ghazal of the Dark Death) borrows its name from Federico García Lorca’s poem by the same name. The piece explores the intersections of death with desire, love, and isolation. Though cyclical, each stanza takes a different compositional approach to toe the lines between intimate and lonely, desperate and dejected, impassioned and numb.

Recording © 2024 The Trustees of Indiana University