A Prayer for my Daughter (2022)
from Why Women Went West
for soprano, violin, cello, and piano
Opening Text from Mary Hunter Austin’s Earth Horizon (1932)
Lyrics by William Butler Yeats
Program Notes
Why Women Went West is an Opera America and NEA Award winning multi-media chamber opera which tells the unfolding narrative of a sole woman protagonist’s journey west. Fourteen songs comprise the two-part narrative; with empathy, ritual, and passion they trace Mary’s experiences from her youth in a Midwest small town in late 19th century to her pioneer days in California, and finally to her wild west days in New Mexico where she eventually confronts death and overcomes the challenges that have plagued her throughout her life. “Prayer for My Daughter” reveals Mary’s plight as a mother alone in the wild west, her heartbreaking decision to abandon her disabled daughter Ruth and place her in an institution, to save both their lives. This work leads to the decisive move in the opera-Mary’s quest to write, and to go further into the West alone.
Purchase
To purchase the scores and parts, email Pamela Madsen directly at pmadsen@fullerton.edu.
Performances
December 9, 2025 | Brightwork newmusic at Monk Space, Los Angeles, CA
February 22, 2024 | Brightwork newmusic at Cal State Fullerton
January 6, 2024 | Brightwork newmusic at Monk Space, Los Angeles, CA
November 13, 2023 | Brightwork newmusic at California Festival, Monk Space, Los Angeles, CA
Press
“created a clear emotional narrative through vocal expression” - Charlie Burns, San Francisco Classical Voice
“the best-sounding piece of the night” - Chrysanthe Tan, San Francisco Classical Voice