"The Ballad of Longwood Glen" by Richard Wilson is a work for harp and voice set to the poem of the same title by Vladimir Nabokov. The ballad speaks of the Longwood family whose father Art, climbs a tree to retrieve a stray ball. As he ascends the tree, he decides to keep climbing until he is so high he cannot come down. The remaining stanzas of the poem describe the bizarre and morbidly comical after effects of Art's ascension.
This piece was premiered in 1970 by Nancy Allen and Paul Sperry who were both instrumental in the musical preparation for this short film and subsequent performances. Many thanks to Dee and Richard Wilson for their support in the creation of this film. To Alphonse van Woerkom for his ingenious drawing of the poster, to Brenda Harris for her insights in the preparation of the music, to Youngarts for their funding, and to the entire cast and crew for their willingness to play along with our whimsical and adventurous project!
Thank you so much for your support and we hope that you will consider donating to project at the link provided below!