Evidence of Things Not Seen (1997) by Ned Rorem
Sung in English

Program PDF
Composer's Note & Vocal Texts

Alison d’Amato, music director
Joelle Lachance, stage director

Evidence of Things Not Seen is the largest song work by the American composer Ned Rorem. There is no other piece like it—it’s a 90-minute-long song cycle in English, with 36 songs that are text settings by 24 different poets. Originally composed for piano and just four singers (SATB), Eastman’s production features eighteen singers in a staged dramatization of the cycle. It is performed without intermission.

The songs are arranged into a loose but profound narrative that explores the human condition. The cycle is in three big parts: “Beginnings,” about going forward into life with the optimism of youth; “Middles,” dealing with coming of age, the horrors of war, and romantic disappointment; and “Ends,” about mortality and the pains of separating from this world and the ones we love. The songs are a constantly changing landscape of solos, duets, trios, quartets, and ensemble pieces. 

Called “the world’s best composer of art songs” by Time magazine, Ned Rorem died in 2023 at the age of 99. He left an important legacy of vocal repertoire and writing publications that made a deep mark on American music. He was a bold, well-traveled, gossipy gay icon—through his music, his diaries, and his proud, unapologetic behavior, Rorem was a constant flag bearer for gay liberation and equality. 

Performances
Thursday, January 23 | 7:30pm
Friday, January 24 | 7:30pm
Saturday, January 25 | 7:30pm
Sunday, January 26 | 2:30pm

Post-show talkbacks will be held following the performances on Friday, January 24 and Saturday, January 25.