The Lady in Pink

Instrumentation: For Mezzo Soprano and Piano

Duration: 3'30"

Text:

The Lady in Pink by Sophie Patterson

I am an enigma, a woman of dreams,
Lent from above where a light brightly beams.

A crowd waits below with baited breath,
Like a colony of rowdy ants - it seems.

Down I fly from the sky
A quirk in lip, a twinkle in eye
I am spinning, and kids are grinning

"Ooing" and "aweing," men are fawning,

Swinging, and flipping, music skipping.

"Hemming" and "hawing," seeing, sawing.

Oh! My rosy pink dress can't help but flutter,

Causing distress to men and mothers.

As I land and past the stands,
I catch an eye, a handsome guy.

A sweet "hello" I long to say,
I turn around, but he's gone away.

Program Note:

Inspired by Charles Ives's great song The Circus Band, The Lady in Pink reimagines the story from the perspective of "..the lady all in pink," one of the alluring and awe-inspiring circus performers referenced in the Ives's work. The lady in pink is portrayed here as an acrobat of sorts, dazzling audiences with her impressive routine and her undeniably signature coquettish wit!

Listen:

Coming Soon

Premiere: 13/01/2025 by Sophie Patterson (sopr.) and Hayden Miller (pno.) at Royal Academy of Music, Angela Burgess Recital Hall, London, UK, as part of RAM Students Create Festival "Ives in Conversation" concert.