Year: March 2018
Instrumentation: Two Mezzo-Sopranos
Text: Hebrew – from the Book of Ruth
Duration: 7″
Range: Singer 1: B3 to G#5 Singer 2: F#3 to G5
Performance History: Premiere at RIAM by Michelle O’Rourke and Siobhra Quinlan 05/07/18. Premiered in New York and Boston by the Peridot Duo in November 2019.
About: ‘Ezer’ is Hebrew for help or strength, and is associated with the idea of a female warrior. This piece is a reflection on the interaction between Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, in the Biblical book of Ruth. After losing her husband and two sons in the foreign country of Moab, Naomi leaves to return to Israel, but tries to convince Ruth to stay in her homeland. Naomi knows that when they return Ruth will be a foreigner and refugee, a barren widow with no prospects. In an act of commitment to both Naomi and Naomi’s God (Elohayik), Ruth declares that she will bind her fate with her mother-in-law’s and go with her.
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