Back in August 2023, I received an email from a colleague, a piano teacher in the Athens, Georgia, area, with an unusual request. She said that one of her adult students was working on new novel and, as part of her research, needed insight into the process of music composition. The main character of the novel, Rebekah said, was a pianist who began to compose a large work after many twists and turns in life. Of course, I said, I would be happy to speak with her friend.
A few days later, Leara Rhodes and I met via Zoom. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and a fruitful collaboration. Leara decided to call her book (the third of her Remembering Ireland series) Tybee Rhapsody, and I offered to write a companion piece with the same title. Last September, Leara and I met with four other creatives in Wexford, Ireland, where I had the opportunity to perform the world premiere of my Tybee Rhapsody at St. Iberius Church. And on Friday, January 16th, Leara’s publisher, Old Fort Press of Savannah, Georgia, sponsored a book launch party at Hendershot’s in Athens. Leara read from her book and I played the Tybee Rhapsody for the first time in the United States. Local Irish band Fawney Rig also provided entertainment. It was a magical evening.
Here’s a brief synopsis of the story:
Gertrude Kelly, a daughter of Irish immigrants in Savannah, Georgia yearns to break free from the constraints of her time and become a concert pianist and composer. Facing societal pressures and personal turmoil in the early 1900s, she journeys from the lush landscapes of Dublin to the serene shores of Tybee Island, where her dreams seem both tantalizingly close and heartbreakingly out of reach…Tybee Rhapsody is a poignant tale of resilience, self-discovery, and the power of music to heal and unite. Join Gertrude on her journey of transformation as she seeks not only to fulfill her dreams but also to find her place in a world that has not always welcomed her.
My companion piece is loosely programmatic, composed in four sections that tie in with themes and events in the book The opening section reflects Gertrude’s optimism as she begins her new life in Savannah and Tybee Island. The second section is more somber, reflecting her past regrets and concerns and fears for the future, as well as her interactions with the natural world that surrounds her; listen for wing whistles, dove calls, the whisper of the wind, and the patter of a gentle rain. The third section is the fierce gale that hits the island and threatens everything. In the closing section, peace is restored – and a second voice joins the first.
To learn more about author Leara Rhodes and to order her books, click HERE. To listen to the Tybee Rhapsody on your favorite streaming site, click HERE. To order the note-by-note sheet music transcription, click HERE.