“The Myth of Persephone“ by Kevin Callahan

Performed by Xavier Jara and the United States Guitar Orchestra. The Myth of Persephone Copyright © 2023 Kevin Callahan.  All rights reserved. MVT I:    Descent 00:00 MVT II:   Search 06:00 MVT III:  Ascent 11:15 Composer: Kevin Callahan Guitar Soloist: Xavier Jara Artist: United States Guitar Orchestra Conductor: Kami Rowan Vocals: Laura Boswell, Lexi McGraw Bass: Brandon Walker Recording Engineer: Doug Williams Mastering Engineer: Dan Shearin Studios: Storyteller Sound and ElectroMagnetic Radiation Recorders Producers: Kevin Callahan, Kami Rowan, Laura Boswell, Doug Williams Guitarists: Connor Brady Laura Boswell JP Castillo Noah Dabney Grace Elmer Jesse Garcia Kayla Hibbs Morgan Stuart Brandon Walker Publisher: Yesler Way Music 2023 PRO: ASCAP In 2022, soloist Xavier Jara with members of the US Guitar Orchestra (from the 2022 tour of New York City and Spain) assembled in Greensboro, NC to record Kevin Callahan’s Myth of Persephone. Under the direction of Dr. Kami Rowan and working with Storyteller Sound & ElectroMagnetic Radiation Recorders in Winston-Salem, NC, this smaller ensemble of USGO players put together a recording of this novel work. Callahan’s musical interpretation of the Greek mythological story of Persephone places the listener in the center of their own garden of visual images motivated by a highly sensory auditory experience. Central to the annual Eleusinian Mysteries held in honor of the Greek gods Demeter and Persephone, this story has persevered from ancient times and still offers dramatic intrigue and fascination. Callahan’s mixing of compositional techniques and styles evokes a variety of moods and musical flow that makes this piece difficult to place within a single genre. Movements: I. Descent Movement I opens with Callahan creating a scenic backdrop for the listener. Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter and goddess of spring, is lying in a field as the sun breaks through the clouds. We are taken back in time by haunting vocals that conjure another world. As Persephone is picking flowers in the field, we hear Hades’ powerful chariots break through the ground from the Underworld. Having successfully abducted Persephone, Hades exhibits some swagger, which is programmatically communicated by Callahan through a funky blues section with a quote from Hendrix’s Foxy Lady. Movement I ends leaving the listener wanting more and curious about what is to come. II. Search Haunting and mysterious, the music in movement II takes us on Demeter’s forlorn journey searching for her daughter Persephone. The listener is transported to a barren landscape where Demeter is disconsolate and scouts the earth endlessly looking for her missing daughter. Here, we can feel the heartbeat and steps of a desperate mother who eventually refuses to ever enter Olympus again or bare fruits on the earth unless she is allowed to see her daughter again. Callahan’s use of evocative vocal and instrumental improvisation in this movement enables us to feel the depth of Demeter’s utter distress and hopelessness. III. Ascent Movement III begins with Hermês (Zeus’s messenger) knocking on the door to the Underworld in an attempt to strike a deal with Hades in return for his daughter. While human existence on earth weighs in the balance, Hades relents to Zeus’s request. We hear Persephone conflicted at first, but ultimately joyful to return from the Underworld. This is followed by Hades’ sadness from losing her communicated clearly through another soulful and sorrowful blues section. Movement III ends with the same punctuation as it began and promises the listener that not all is lost. In Callahan’s Myth of Persephone no one gets everything they want, but everyone does get something. The tragedy of Persephone does not disallow the world to continue. Life goes on and hopefully we learn something here about how deeply music can tell a story and communicate the emotions of the characters within it. -Kami Rowan Conductor/Director