Sisters of the Covid Moon - SOP/BSN/PN

Sisters of the Covid Moon 

for soprano, bassoon, and piano

by Jenni Brandon (b. 1977)

Sisters of the Covid Moon was created during the Covid-19 Pandemic and tells the stories of women of all ages and backgrounds living through these unprecedented times.  Composer Jenni Brandon and Bassoonist/Soprano Gina Cuffari had been talking about creating a new work where Gina would bring her extraordinary talents of singing and playing the bassoon into one work.  During the Fall of 2020 when the Covid-19 Pandemic was continuing to shut down performances, events, and everyday life, they decided that their project would turn to telling the stories of women and girls during the pandemic.  Women carried a lot of the burden of this time – choosing family over career, becoming teachers and full-time caregivers, and discovering a society that was not ready for such a crisis.  In order to tell their stories, Jenni reached out to poet Karla Linn Merrifield to bring together the words and stories of girls, working women, moms, and seniors in a libretto-style text that weaves together their experiences into this poignant and moving libretto. The music reflects the many stories of these women through a variety of styles, from Broadway to classical, jazz-inspired melodies to opera influences, all blended together in this genre-crossing work.

The initial version of this work for Soprano/Bassoon and Piano was premiered during the 2021 International Double Reed Society Virtual Symposium