About this project

THANK YOU, kind supporters! We have met our minimum, so we will meet production costs, but please remember that we set our goal very low so the funding would go through, and we so appreciate whatever you can give so that we can get the word out about the CD. PLEASE PRE-ORDER your CDs here!

The Great Deep: Songs of Transiton--new works by Frank Wallace

We are composer / classical guitarist Frank Wallace and mezzosoprano / poet Nancy Knowles. The video gives you a glimpse into our vision and how we work. But what it really says is: if you are inspired by our ideas, our creativity, our devotion to music, sound, family, and LIFE, then please join in our conversation on Kickstarter and help us produce this work of art! Our goal here of $3,000 is just the minimum we need to complete the project, so please don't be shy!

For the last fifteen years we have been collaborating as composer and poet to produce our own new body of art song with classical guitar, with influences from classical to medieval to the blues to avant garde. This period has also witnessed the decline and death of both of our mothers, and the slowing of our fathers, now in their mid nineties. Since our new CD, The Great Deep, is a tribute to them on this, their last journey, Frank turned to their favorite poets for song texts such as Merlin's riddle below.

We have a summer ritual of recording our work in a small church in an 18th century country village near where we live. The church has hardwood walls that give a warm full acoustic, an American echo of our years performing in romanesque churches in France and Spain. We're happy to report we got our recording done before the first frost--an unheated New England church is no place for a guitarist in November! We have found the poetry, set it to music, published the music, learned it and recorded it. NOW WE NEED YOUR HELP to help pay for editing,mastering, design, and production of this CD (first run will be 1,000), the 7th we have recorded in this beautiful space for our own Gyre label. Join in our conversation on love, loss, old age, transitions, music, poetry and the recording process…. More info on the music and previous Gyre recordings at: www.gyremusic.com

'Rain, rain, and sun! a rainbow in the sky!
A young man will be wiser by and by;

An old man's wit may wander ere he die.

   Rain, rain, and sun! a rainbow on the lea!

And truth is this to me, and that to thee;

And truth or clothed or naked let it be.

   Rain, sun, and rain! and the free blossom blows:

Sun, rain, and sun! and where is he who knows?

From the great deep to the great deep he goes.'

From The Coming of Arthur (from Idylls of the King) by Alfred, Lord Tennyson