Rising Tides
CAST
Lindsey Rae Johnson, soprano Lisa Neher, mezzo-soprano Susan McBerry, narrator Stephen Lewis, pianist Featured Repertoire"Immortality Becomes Tedious" and "The Vapour" from Deep Water by Caroline Louise Miller
"A Solemn Promise" from North and South by Dianne Davies, adapted from the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell Upon a Broken World by Lisa Neher, poetry by Danusha Laméris, Amy Lowell, & Maggie Smith "No, Nancy, You Can't Say That!" from Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock by Lisa Neher & Bea Goodwin "One fish, Two fish, Plastics, Dead fish" and "Love in a Time of Climate Change" from Love in a Time of Climate Change by Lisa Neher & Craig Santos Perez "These shapes can change" from Shadows Shortening by Omar Najmi and Karly Hou "Emma's Wisdom" by Lisa March by William Campbell "Stillness" from Dead Fires Anthology by Drew Swatosh In the moment by Stacey Philipps, text by Hilda Conkling, age 7 |
Wednesday, April 15, Noon
The Old Church Concert Hall, Portland, OR and livestreamed on YouTube Free Admission ABOUT THE SHOW
Hear exclusive previews from Caroline Louise Miller's new queer fantasy opera Deep Water at Rising Tides, an exploration of our warming world, the beauty of nature, and the fight for social justice through opera and song. In Deep Water, teenage oracles Val and Bluejay wander a post-apocalyptic world to document the fall of humanity. "The Vapour" is a haunting meditation on the destruction of forest fires. In "Immortality Becomes Tedious, " Val and Bluejay lament how depressing the work is, arguing over the point of it all. New Wave Opera is proud to be performing the world premiere of Deep Water in June 2026. This is your chance to hear excerpts of this compelling and timely opera in advance of the premiere. Complimenting selections from Deep Water are works inspired by the natural world, social justice, and the climate crisis. Renowned Portland soprano and voice teacher Susan McBerry narrates Upon a Broken World, by Lisa Neher and various poets, contemplating the end of wars, the struggle to maintain hope, and the beauty of day to day interactions. Love in a Time of Climate Change, Neher’s OMTA Composer of the Year commission with poet Craig Santos Perez, examines humanity’s love of the natural world and the consequences our choices impose on other species. The setting sun creates faces in the shadows of rocks in Omar Najmi's "These shapes can change" (text by Karly Hou); Stacey Philipps' In the Moment, (text by 7 year old Hilda Conkling) takes delight in the beauty and fragility of a butterfly; Drew Swatosh's "Stillness" expresses hope that we can all find quiet and healing; William Campbell's "Waiting" equates hope with seeing clear skies after grey day; and Lisa Marsh's "Emma's Wisdom" sets Emma Goldman's insistent cry for freedom and equality. Rising Tides features selections from operas in progress by Pacific Northwest composers. Dianne Davies' "A Solemn Promise," based on the novel North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, is a dramatic showdown between the stern and powerful Mrs. Thornton and the strong-willed outsider Margaret. In Lisa Neher and Bea Goodwin's "No, Nancy! You Can't Say That!" Carolyn Keene, author of the famous Nancy Drew novels, bursts into Nancy's world to stop her from being so independent. Her editors insist that she make Nancy more ladylike. But Nancy fights back and wants to know why she should be anything other than herself. Free Admission, no advance pre-registration required. |
Featured Composer: Caroline Louise Miller
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Caroline Louise Miller (they/them) is a US composer based in Portland, Oregon. Common themes in their work include affect, ecology, labor politics, tactility, and the materiality of media, often within dreamlike musical spaces that thread field recordings, shimmering textures, and romantic melodic lines through harsh noise and clattering dissonances. They have enjoyed wide-ranging collaborations, and have been supported by numerous grants, fellowships, and commissions. These have most recently included funding through Seattle Modern Orchestra, Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, Sonic Matter Festival, Alarm Will Sound/Matt Marks Impact Fund, SPLICE Ensemble, Chamber Music America, Guerilla Opera, Transient Canvas, Ensemble Adapter, and others. Their music is performed nationally and internationally.
Miller has collaborated with writers, artists, filmmakers, oceanographers, limnologists, and others. In 2014, Miller worked as an artist-in-residence aboard a Scripps Institution of Oceanography research vessel in the Philippine Sea, sailing from Kaohsiung, Taiwan to Koror, Palau. Field recordings from the ship were used to compose the score for a feature-length experimental documentary by Lyndsay Bloom about daily life aboard the ship. Their multimedia installation Here There: (Re)collecting Labor on the American Railway, co-created with artist Stefani Byrd and featuring a score recorded with Alarm Will Sound, incorporates field recordings and video footage taken on an expedition to endangered historic sites in Northern California, and has been exhibited internationally. From 2012-2017, Miller organized and curated an annual experimental music and cross-disciplinary collaborative showcase at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. At Portland State, Miller co-organizes ReWire Festival, an annual spring showcase of work involving collaborations between SAMP and Theater. Miller is currently Assistant Professor of Sonic Arts at Portland State University, where they teach courses including electronic music composition, songwriting, studio production, and music for visual media. Their songwriting class is designed as an inclusive, student-led workshop culminating in an annual multi-genre showcase of songs. They a hold a Ph.D in Music from UC San Diego, and a Bachelor of Music from UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. In their spare time, they enjoy field recording and learning about zoology. |