Morning Person

A wild fun ride as God creates the universe, with an exhilarating text by Vassar Miller,  premiered October 2008 by Rick Bjella's White Heron Chorale.

The music for this setting of Vassar Miller’s poem begins with the swirling of tiny particles in the vastness of space (represented by the piano introduction) as Miller’s “Morning Person” awakens to create the universe, according to the poet – in one day, not six. The enthusiasm in the choir for each new creation is dizzying, and only slows down to reflect upon God’s creation of man and woman—the music here is more subdued, a somewhat melancholy hint at the Fall and banishment from Eden. The music then speeds up again and reaches one more grand climax before every newly created life rests for the evening- whew!

Vassar Miller (1924-1998), wrote her poetry on a special constructed typewriter due to the cerebral palsy which affected her speech and movement. Her poems, most of which dealt with either her strong religious faith or her experiences as a person with a disability, were widely praised for their rigorous formality, clarity, and emotional impact. In 1961 Miller was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her collection Wage War on Silence. An outspoken advocate for the rights and dignity of the handicapped, Miller was not only a poet of extraordinary talent, she was a woman whose indomitable spirit enabled her to overcome her significant physical limitations.