Vegetable Verselets
OK, this is just funny... who's going?
*Virginia Tech Special Collections is pleased to be a collaborator in a project of musical proportions! In October 2010, we purchased a rare volume from 1911, Vegetable Verselets for Humorous Vegetarians by Margaret G. Hays, for our Culinary History Collection. Illustrated by Hays' sister, the book includes an onion version of Cinderella ("Cinderella Scullion"), the tale of a well-educated bean ("Boston Bean"), and a corn-y march ("The Regiment"), among its poems.
Shortly after it arrived, the book was on display in our Reading Room when it came to the attention of associate professor in the Department of Music and pianist, Tracy Cowden. Inspired by the poems and illustrations, she acquired a grant and enticed composer Daron Hagen and soprano Caroline Worra to be part of the project. The song cycle will have its world premiere here at Virginia Tech in April 2012 and will have a New York premiere during the 2012-2013 season of the Phoenix Concerts.
For Special Collections, this is a particularly unique and exciting chance for us to collaborate and reach out to a whole new audience. We are looking forward to sharing a piece of our Culinary History Collection through song.
Links to: the article
and a short video clip of Tracy Cowden reading two poems and playing from the related songs.
*Virginia Tech Special Collections is pleased to be a collaborator in a project of musical proportions! In October 2010, we purchased a rare volume from 1911, Vegetable Verselets for Humorous Vegetarians by Margaret G. Hays, for our Culinary History Collection. Illustrated by Hays' sister, the book includes an onion version of Cinderella ("Cinderella Scullion"), the tale of a well-educated bean ("Boston Bean"), and a corn-y march ("The Regiment"), among its poems.
Shortly after it arrived, the book was on display in our Reading Room when it came to the attention of associate professor in the Department of Music and pianist, Tracy Cowden. Inspired by the poems and illustrations, she acquired a grant and enticed composer Daron Hagen and soprano Caroline Worra to be part of the project. The song cycle will have its world premiere here at Virginia Tech in April 2012 and will have a New York premiere during the 2012-2013 season of the Phoenix Concerts.
For Special Collections, this is a particularly unique and exciting chance for us to collaborate and reach out to a whole new audience. We are looking forward to sharing a piece of our Culinary History Collection through song.
Links to: the article
and a short video clip of Tracy Cowden reading two poems and playing from the related songs.