Program Note

In The Green Fields of Amerikay, I borrow a folk text from Ireland, telling the story of an immigrant to America. Unlike some immigrant songs, this one is hopeful: the narrator speaks of the better life that awaits them over the ocean. The current work was written at a time when the national attitude towards immigrant workers was becoming more hostile; therefore—and due also to the slightly melancholic nature of certain parts of the text—there is a wistful, almost lamenting aspect to the melodic line, paired with the haunting, wave-like, wordless chorus and chant-like instrumental responses.

As an erstwhile piper and fiddler, I have become increasingly compelled to explore and incorporate aspects of my heritage, and I am grateful to the Broken Consort for allowing me the opportunity to write this work for them during my 2015-2016 residency with the ensemble. The work was premiered on May 4, 2016, in New York, New York, and on May 6, 2016, in Baltimore, Maryland.

— Douglas Buchanan

Audio

The Green Fields of Amerikay

Video

The Broken Consort performs Douglas Buchanan's setting of "The Green Fields of Amerikay," May 6, 2016, at St. David's Episcopal Church in Baltimore.