Piece Comment

Review of Found Letters to my Granddaughter by Walter Payton


This is a heartbreaking piece whose twists and turns I don't want to give away. It's the first time I've heard such combination of music as poetry, and a team of voices telling one story in this style. Beautifully performed and simple, it tells the story of a veteran, his wife, and how (what seems like) PTSD is affecting their post-war life. The difficulties of the subject matter are eased by the tune, sang just as loud as the spoken word -- it's sometimes background, it's sometimes equal to the dialogue. It's tense and jagged and important to listen to, because it's legs are long enough to extend into a generation of soldiers far past Okinawa. Well mixed, no recording issues, and the perfect amount of time and story to hold my attention. It would fit nicely into any poetry hour or slam, and is definitely worth a couple listens.