Album Notes

Lyric Soprano Carol Willis Buechler (now known as Carol Willis Simsak) and Pianist Mary Foster Grant first met in 1972 when they became fast friends and found in each other a mutual love of music. As children they combined this love of music with play and have continued to do so over the years.

The CD itself: The opening and closing numbers, A Nun Takes A Veil and The Desire For Hermitage, express longing for the peace and quietude of total aloneness, while Bach's Choral Prelude for solo piano and the two Ave Marias, first Bach/Gounod and later from Verdi's opera Otello all show the simple praise of a trusting heart. The two peices written by Beethoven, Die Liebe des Nachsten and Bitten, take a more declarative role contrasting with A Prayer from William Schumann's opera The Mighty Casey, which expresses doubt that there is even anyone listening, and Copland's interpretation of Emily Dickensen's whimsical poem Why Do They Shut Me Out Of Heaven which speaks of bewilderment and rejection. Vissi D'Arte, Vissi D'Amore from Puccini's opera Tosca demonstrates Tosca's mixture of emotions as she turns to God before committing murder, asking why he has withdrawn from her and singing her heartfelt feeling of sadness, confusion and anger. Cradle Song, written by the pianist's Grandmother and sung to her father as a child, gives a glimpse into the heart of two mothers, one on earth as she asks her Holy Mother to care for her son and the response elicited from that Holy Mother as she remembers her own son's life on earth, while Saint Ita's Vision is a lullaby sung to the son as he nurses in his devoted mother's arms. Mozart's Cantata Exultate Jubilate shouts our Joy to the heavens in three full movements and Pieta, Signore shows a heart which begs for forgiveness.