The New York City Experience of
The Work At Hand, Carnegie Hall
By Brenda McGillicutty Burgoo
Charlene traveled from 81 degrees Fahrenheit to 18° on
February 14, the day of her departure from San Diego and her arrival at New
York City’s JFK. The purpose of the visit was to attend the world premiere of
her daughter Laura J. Morefield’s The
Work at Hand as set to music by Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking, Moby-Dick). The three-part cycle was sung by
luscious mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton at Carnegie Hall.
Sadly, Jake was laid up on the West Coast with a flu bug and could not attend the premiere.
Barton was magnificent throughout the recital. Charlene was verklempt from beginning to end because
it seemed as if Barton’s intelligent program was built around Laura, who loved
life, including nature. God and wit, fought for it valiantly, reluctantly
departing in 2011, having left behind a legacy of words.
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| Laura J. Morefield, 2008 |
Laura knew Jake because he had set Charlene’s poems. They
became close friends when Laura and mom were on their annual mother-daughter
travels, which sometimes centered on Heggie premieres, the last of which was a
mid-chemo trip to the 2010 world premiere of Jake’s Moby-Dick in Dallas.
Subsequently, while seeking a miracle at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Laura and
Dan, her beloved husband, went to see Jake’s Dead Man Walking. She declared him her favorite opera composer.
At his request, Laura sent Jake her “top ten poems” before
she died. When his Carnegie Hall/Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra commission
arose, Jake determined to set Laura’s work for Barton and cellist Anne
Martindale Williams. What we heard at Carnegie Hall (collegial pianist was
Bradley Moore of Houston Grand Opera) was the chamber music version. To come is
the world premiere of the orchestrated symphonic version, which takes place in
Pittsburgh May 15 and 17. Charlene plans to attend.
Charlene adds
Dan took our little group (I especially enjoyed being with Dotty
Morefield, Laura’s other mother, and Chad Riter, her god-son) to see two
Broadway musicals, and treated a larger party to dinner at Trattoria Dell’Arte prior
to Jamie’s vocal recital. Le Parker Meridien was marvelously comfortable, with
a caring staff that would not let me out the door without a coat! I met with
numerous artists who once lived in San Diego – that was so good to see them thriving and happy.
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| Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and Charlene Photo courtesy of Josh Ellis |
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| Dan Morefield, Jamie Barton and Charlene Photo courtesy of Josh Ellis |
About Jake’s music:
Laura adored the sea music from Moby-Dick,
and the more tranquil writing (for the final section titled “The Slow Seconds”)
was rife with a similar, expansive motif. Impressively, Jake managed to
capture the anger, frustration and grief one feels when receiving so terrible a
diagnosis. Those who have read Laura’s book, The Warrior’s Stance, or have seen the play based upon her work,
know how much she loved life. Jake and Jamie paid homage to that, capturing her
spirit and allowing her words and amotions to live.
In answer to many queries, there is no recording of The Work at Hand. Laura's book may be ordered through me or by going to www.thewarriorsstance.com Proceeds benefit the Colon Cancer Alliance.
