Chris Ferebee: Toward the Call of the Owl

Settings of poetry by Jesse Graves.

Chris Ferebee is a composer who founded the ensemble ‘Floyd’s Row’ when still a doctoral student here at St Hilda’s College. His haunting music combines elements of improvisation, minimalism, folk and early music. ‘Nightjar Songs’ explores the contemporary South through the paradox of a living past; ghosts and memories stand alongside birds, mountains, and the heat of the sun in exploring the idea of a ‘homeplace.’

Dr Jesse Graves is a poet from Sharp’s Chapel, Tennessee, a community his ancestors settled in the 1780’s. He is poet-in-residence and a professor of English at East Tennessee State University where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in creative writing. Prior to taking up his post at ETSU, he studied at the University of Tennessee and Cornell University.

Prior to the performance to each setting, each poem will be read by the poet himself.