Resounding Verse
Join music theorist Stephen Rodgers as he explores how composers transform words into songs. Each episode discusses one poem and one musical setting of it. The music is diverse—covering a variety of styles and time periods, and focusing on composers from underrepresented groups—and the tone is accessible and personal. If you love poetry and song, no matter your background and expertise, this show is for you. Episodes are 20-40 minutes long and air every couple of months.
Resounding Verse
Strawberry Man: Kendra Preston Leonard and Lisa Neher
Kendra Preston Leonard's poem and Lisa Neher's song—about a man who sells fresh fruit on a summer day—celebrate something sumptuous where we would least expect it.
The performance of the song is by Arwen Myers, who is also featured in a previous episode about a song by Florence Price.
Be sure to check out other collaborations by Kendra Preston Leonard and Lisa Neher, especially the works in their micro-opera festival.
Strawberry Man
by Kendra Preston Leonard
The Strawberry Man
and his little pinto pony
Sweetness, slaked
in the city street
Poem reproduced with permission from the author