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Donald Macleod delves into a time when Rorem was settling into domesticity with James Holmes.

Ned Rorem was an American composer and writer, and was hailed by some as the greatest art song composer of his time. Writing over 500 songs, his music has been described as neo-romantic, leaning at times towards a more lyrical nature. Early musical influences upon Rorem were Margaret Bonds, Virgil Thomson, Aaron Copland and also Arthur Honegger. After a period of living in Paris where he associated with members of Les Six, as well as frequent trips to Morocco, Rorem eventually settled back in the USA for the rest of his life. He went on to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for his orchestral work, Air Music.

Rorem also wrote seventeen books, six of which were intimate diaries. These earned him a certain reputation from the 1960s onwards, particularly for his openness about his regular sexual encounters with men. During this period, Rorem also had issues with alcohol and drugs, but his life steadily settled when he entered into a long-term relationship with the composer and choral director James Holmes. They purchased a house together in Nantucket, and Rorem often relied upon Holmes for feedback concerning his own music.
Ned Rorem was interviewed by Donald Macleod for Composer of the Week back in 2003. There will be excerpts from this interview throughout the week.

By 1980 Rorem was teaching at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia where he had previously been a student. He was also composer-in-residence at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, which commissioned him to compose his Santa Fe Songs. Back in the 1970s Rorem and his partner James Holmes purchased a house in Nantucket. His diaries and photos demonstrate how important this location was for Rorem, as a place to relax and compose. One major concern for Rorem at this time were the regular updates he received about friends who were dying from AIDS. Rorem confided in his diaries that his musical compositions now arose from a concern for AIDS.

Sky Music (Brisk and Smooth)
Yolande Kondonassis, harp

Santa Fe Songs (excerpt)
Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano
Ensemble Oriol
Malcolm Martineau, piano

Praise the Lord, O My Soul
St. Olaf Choir
John Ferguson, organ
Anton Armstrong, conductor

Violin Concerto (excerpt)
Gidon Kremer, violin
New York Philharmonic
Leonard Bernstein, conductor

While all things were in quiet silence (Seven Motets for the Church Year)
The New York Concert Singers
Judith Clurman, director

Breath on Me, Breath of God
The Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge
Mark Williams, director

String Symphony (excerpt)
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Robert Shaw, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock

Knowing When to Stop, published by Simon and Schuster; The Paris Diary and The New York Diary, published by Da Capo Press; The Later Diaries, published by Da Capo Press; The Nantucket Diary, published by North Point Press; Facing the Night, published by Shoemaker & Hoard; Lies, published by Counterpoint; Settling the score, published by Doubleday.