Absurdities

This set is dedicated to my late grandfather, David M. Oldham. He had a remarkable ability to find innocent humor in any situation, and so this music was written encapsulating his witty zeal for life. While not a musician himself, he was a frequent concert goer – supporting his spouse, children, and grandchildren in every musical endeavor he could possibly be there to see. His support meant so much throughout my personal musical development. This song cycle is but a small way I can contribute to his glowing memory.

The first text used is an example of "spoonerism," which is the intentional transposition of sounds or letters in words for a humorous effect. This particular example (originally from an anonymous source) is one that my grandfather was fond of reciting, and holds a special significance to all members of the Oldham Family. The other texts used are "The Hippopotamus" by T.S. Eliot and "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll.

Stream a performance of this work in the “Concert music” section of my portfolio.

PDF download link delivered upon purchase.