David Leisner

West Wind

Leisner was pleased to use poems by Pulitzer Prize winner Mary Oliver in his new cycle West Wind; taking its name from one of Oliver's collections. 'In recent years; diatonic and chromatic harmonic approaches have merged in my work; mixing in a way that might have seemed confusing before; but feels perfectly natural to me now. These songs are written in this language.' A master guitarist himself; Leisner puts special emphasis on the guitar part; elevating the instrument above the usual role of accompaniment. West Wind includes Come with me; Row for your life; Dark is as dark does; Wild needle; Night birds; and West Wind.