Joyce DiDonato: Emily – No Prisoner Be

They shut me up in Prose –
As when a little Girl
They put me in the Closet –
Because they liked me “still” –
Still! Could themself have peeped–
And seen my Brain – go round –
They might as wise have lodged a Bird
For Treason – in the Pound –
Himself has but to will
And easy as a Star
Look down upon Captivity –
And laugh – No more have I –

I was the slightest in the House –
I took the smallest Room –
At night, my little Lamp, and Book –
And one Geranium –
So stationed I could catch the Mint
That never ceased to fall –
And just my Basket –
Let me think – I’m sure –
That this was all –
I never spoke – unless addressed –
And then, ‘twas brief and low –
I could not bear to live – aloud –
The Racket shamed me so –
And if it had not been so far –
And any one I knew
Were going – I had often thought
How noteless – I could die –

The Soul selects her own Society –
Then – shuts the Door –
To her divine Majority –
Present no more –
Unmoved – she notes the Chariots – pausing –
At her low Gate –
Unmoved – an Emperor be kneeling
Upon her Mat –
I’ve known her – from an ample nation –
Choose One –
Then – close the Valves of her attention –
Like Stone –

Again – his voice is at the door –
I feel the old Degree –
I hear him ask the servant
For such an one – as me –
I take a fl ower – as I go –
My face to justify –
He never saw me – in this life –
I might surprise his eye!
I cross the Hall with mingled steps –
I – silent – pass the door –
I look on all this world contains –
Just his face – nothing more!
We talk in careless – and it toss –
A kind of plummet strain –
Each – sounding – shyly –
Just – how – deep –
The other’s one – had been –
We walk – I leave my Dog – at home –
A tender – thoughtful Moon –
Goes with us – just a little way –
And – then – we are alone –
Alone – if Angels are “alone” –
First time they try the sky!
Alone – if those “veiled faces” – be –
We cannot count – on High!
I’d give – to live that hour – again –
The purple – in my Vein –
But He must count the drops

[Instrumental]

I dwell in Possibility –
A fairer House than Prose –
More numerous of Windows –
Superior – for Doors –
Of Chambers as the Cedars –
Impregnable of eye –
And for an everlasting Roof
The Gambrels of the Sky –
Of Visitors – the fairest –
For Occupation – This –
The spreading wide my narrow Hands
To gather Paradise –

Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
The Carriage held but just Ourselves –
And Immortality.
We slowly drove – He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility –
We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess – in the Ring –
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –
We passed the Setting Sun –
Or rather – He passed Us –
The Dews drew quivering and Chill –
For only Gossamer, my Gown –
My Tippet – only Tulle –
We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground –
The Roof was scarcely visible –
The Cornice – in the Ground –
Since then – ‘tis Centuries – and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses’ Heads
Were toward Eternity –

[Instrumental]

A single Clover Plank
Was all that saved a Bee
A Bee I personally knew
From sinking in the sky –
‘Twixt Firmament above
And Firmament below
The Billows of Circumference
Were sweeping him away –
The idly swaying Plank
Responsible to nought
A sudden Freight of Wind assumed
And Bumble Bee was not –
This harrowing event
Transpiring in the Grass
Did not so much as wring from him
A wandering “Alas” –

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to and fro
Kept treading – treading – till it seemed
That Sense was breaking through –
And when they all were seated,
A Service, like a Drum –
Kept beating – beating – till I thought
My mind was going numb –
And then I heard them lift a Box
And creak across my Soul
With those same Boots of Lead, again,
Then Space – began to toll,
As all the Heavens were a Bell,
And Being, but an Ear,
And I, and Silence, some strange Race,
Wrecked, solitary, here –
And then a Plank in Reason, broke,
And I dropped down, and down –
And hit a World, at every plunge,
And Finished knowing – then –

I reason, Earth is short –
And Anguish – absolute –
And many hurt,
But, what of that?
I reason, we could die –
The best Vitality
Cannot excel Decay,
But, what of that?
I reason, that in Heaven –
Somehow, it will be even –
Some new Equation, given –
But, what of that?

A little Snow was here and there
Disseminated in her Hair –
Since she and I had met and played
Decade had gathered to Decade –
But Time had added not obtained
Impregnable the Rose
For summer too indelible
Too obdurate for Snows –

I tie my Hat – I crease my Shawl –
Life’s little duties do – precisely –
As the very least
Were infi nite – to me –
I put new Blossoms in the Glass –
And throw the old – away –
I push a petal from my gown
That anchored there – I weigh
The time ‘twill be till six o’clock
I have so much to do –
And yet – Existence – some way back –
Stopped – struck – my ticking – through –
We cannot put Ourself away
As a completed Man
Or Woman – When the Errand’s done
We came to Flesh – upon –
There may be – Miles on Miles of Nought –
Of Action – sicker far –
To simulate – is stinging work –
To cover what we are
From Science – and from Surgery –
Too Telescopic Eyes
To bear on us unshaded –
For their – sake – not for Ours –
Twould start them –
We – could tremble—
But since we got a Bomb –
And held it in our Bosom –
Nay – Hold it – it is calm –
A wandering “Alas” –
Therefore – we do life’s labor –
Though life’s Reward – be done –
With scrupulous exactness –
To hold our Senses – on –

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops at – all –
And sweetest – in the Gale is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –
I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of Me.

[Instrumental]

The Props assist the House
Until the House is built
And then the Props withdraw
And adequate, erect,
The House support itself
And cease to recollect
The Augur and the Carpenter –
Just such a retrospect
Hath the perfected Life –
A Past of Plank and Nail
And slowness – then the scaffolds drop
Affirming it a Soul –

There is a solitude of space
A solitude of sea
A solitude of death, but these
Society shall be
Compared with that profounder site
That polar privacy
A soul admitted to itself –
Finite infinity.

[Instrumental]

Could I but ride indefinite
As doth the Meadow Bee
And visit only where I liked
And No one visit me
And flirt all Day with Buttercups
And marry whom I may
And dwell a little everywhere
Or better, run away
With no Police to follow
Or chase Him if He do
Till He should jump Peninsulas
To get away from me
I said But just to be a Bee
Upon a Raft of Air
And row in Nowhere all Day long
And anchor off the Bar
What Liberty! So Captives deem
Who tight in Dungeons are.

So set its Sun in Thee
What Day be dark to me –
What Distance – far –
So I the Ships may see
That touch – how seldomly –
Thy Shore?

Her face was in a bed of hair,
Like flowers in a plot –
Her hand was whiter than the sperm
That feeds the sacred light.
Her tongue more tender than the tune
That totters in the leaves –
Who hears may be incredulous,
Who witnesses, believes.

Going – to – Her!
Happy – Letter! Tell Her –
Tell Her – the page I never wrote!
Tell Her, I only said – the Syntax –
And left the Verb and the Pronoun – out!
Tell Her just how the fi ngers – hurried –
Then – how they – stammered – slow – slow –
And then – you wished you had eyes –
in your pages –
So you could see – what moved – them – so –
Tell Her – it wasn’t a practised writer –
You guessed –
From the way the sentence – toiled –
You could hear the Bodice – tug – behind you –
As if it held but the might of a child!
You almost pitied – it – you – it worked so –
Tell Her – No – you may quibble – there –
For it would split Her Heart – to know it –
And then – you and I – were silenter!
Tell Her – Day – fi nished before we – fi nished –
And the old Clock kept neighing – “Day”!
And you – got sleepy – and begged to be ended –
What could – it hinder so – to say?
Tell Her – just how she sealed – you – Cautious!
But – if she ask “where you are hid” –
until the evening –
[Ah!] Be bashful!
Gesture Coquette –
And shake your Head!

[Instrumental]

His Feet are shod with Gauze –
His Helmet, is of Gold,
His Breast, a Single Onyx
With Chrysophrase, inlaid.
His Labor is a Chant –
His Idleness – a Tune –
Oh, for a Bee’s experience
Of Clovers, and of Noon!

Wild Nights – Wild Nights!
Were I with thee
Wild Nights should be
Our luxury!
Futile – the winds –
To a heart in port –
Done with the compass –
Done with the chart!
Rowing in Eden –
Ah, the sea!
Might I moor – Tonight –
In thee!

There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, [Austin,]
Never mind silent fields –
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

‘Tis true – They shut me in the Cold –
But then – Themselves were warm
And could not know the feeling ‘twas –
Forget it – Lord – of Them –
Let not my Witness hinder Them
In Heavenly esteem –
No Paradise could be – Conferred
Through Their beloved Blame –
The Harm They did – was short – And since
Myself – who bore it – do –
Forgive Them – Even as Myself –
Or else – forgive not me –

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

No Prisoner be –
Where Liberty –
[Her]self – abide with Thee –

Joyce DiDonato has been hailed as one of the most extraordinary singers of our time, celebrated not only for the radiant beauty of her voice but also for the emotional honesty and humanity she brings to every performance. Kansas-born and a winner of multiple Grammy Awards and the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, she has inspired audiences and critics alike across the globe, described by The New Yorker as “perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation” and by The Times as possessing a sound “nothing less than 24-carat gold.”

Her artistry defies simple categorisation. With a repertoire spanning four centuries, from the dazzling virtuosity of Handel and Mozart to the passion of French Romanticism and the raw power of contemporary opera, Joyce has redefined what it means to be a 21st-century singer. Whether portraying heroines of myth and history or giving voice to modern figures like Virginia Woolf in The Hours or Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking, she unites technical brilliance with a deep sense of storytelling that reso nates with audiences everywhere.

On the world’s great stages including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, and the Wiener Staatsoper, as well as concert halls in Berlin, Tokyo, Buenos Aires and beyond, Joyce has forged unforgettable collaborations with leading conductors, orchestras, and directors. Her recitals and residencies at institutions such as Carnegie Hall and London’s Barbican Centre have further established her as a musical force whose programmes invite listeners to journey across centuries and styles, discovering unexpected connections between past and present.

Her catalogue of recordings has been recognised with multiple Grammy Awards and international prizes, acclaimed for both its range and its depth. From large -scale operatic works to imaginative recital programmes, these releases reflect the same imagination and integrity that define her live performances, and have brought her interpretations to listeners around the world.

Joyce’s impact also reaches beyond performance. A dedicated advocate for the transformative power of the arts, she has created ambitious global projects that combine music with a call to reflection and action. Most recently, her EDEN initiative spanned more than 50 cities across four continents, weaving together music, education, and community engagement to invite audiences into a dialogue about humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

Among her many honours, Joyce has been recognised with the Concertgebouw Prize for her outstanding artistic contribution, and has been named an Officière de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.

Through her collaborations, performances, and creative projects, Joyce has established a singular voice that reflects her mastery, vision, and unmistakable artistry.

GRAMMY® and Emmy-winning ensemble Time for Three (TF3) defies convention and boundaries, merging classical, Americana, and singer-songwriter traditions into a singular, remarkable sound. Consisting of Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals), Nicolas “Nick” Kendall (violin, vocals) and Charles Yang (violin, vocals), TF3 captivates audiences worldwide with their virtuosic playing and insatiable appetite for creativity that expands typical perceptions of a string trio.

Time for Three’s collaborations with leading orchestras and conductors have been widely celebrated. Through appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony, and Taipei Symphony, they have invited audiences to experience classical music in a wholly unique way. For more than a decade, the trio served as Artists in Residence with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Their artistry has been championed by distinguished conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Christoph Eschenbach, Marin Alsop, Teddy Abrams, Xian Zhang, Keith Lockhart, Krzysztof Urbański, and James Gaffigan.

The trio’s history of groundbreaking commissions entered a new chapter in 2025 with Silicon Hymnal, a genre-blending concerto by the highly sought after composer Mason Bates that integrates electronica into the orchestral fabric. The concerto received its premiere at Arizona Musicfest, with subsequent performances with San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC, Louisville Orchestra, and Nashville Symphony.

TF3’s collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts earned the trio their first GRAMMY® Award, winning in the category of Best Classical Instrumental Solo. The commissioned work, titled Contact, was recorded with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Xian Zhang and released on the Deutsche Grammophon label under the album title Letters for the Future. The album also included Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto 4-3, written specifically for the trio. Time for Three has enjoyed additional collaborations with composers Chris Brubeck and William Bolcom, as well as a wide range of artists including Ben Folds, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Bell, Aoife O’Donovan, Natasha Bedingfield, and Arlo Guthrie.

Time for Three’s solo shows have been praised for their “joy, mastery, creativity and supreme artistry” (The Strad), featuring original songs with imaginative arrangements of beloved classical and mainstream works. As described by National Public Radio, “In person, the members of Time for Three come off as just three dudes in a band. But with their staggering technique and freewheeling genre-crossing, it’s hard not to be swept up in the force of their contagious energy.” Their concert special, Time For Three In Concert, was produced by PBS and earned the trio an Emmy Award.

Time for Three’s affinity for new experiences led them to collaborate with cellist and composer Ben Sollee to create the soundtrack for Focus Features’ film Land, which was directed by Robin Wright and premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. For the past two seasons, they have worked with choreographer Lauren Lovette for special performances with the Paul Taylor Dance Company at Lincoln Center. On the recording side, TF3 teamed up with GRAMMY®-winning songwriter Liz Rose and GRAMMY®-winning producer Femke Weidema for new recordings released through Warner Music, and contributed to Summer Walker’s R&B hit, “Constant Bullsxxt.”

Both on and off stage, Time for Three is committed to encouraging the next generation of musicians. In conjunction with their performances, TF3 hosts masterclasses, workshops and musical conversations. They have been invited for multi-day residencies by universities and youth orchestras. As part of their performances, Time for Three regularly welcomes local student musicians to share the stage with them, creating collaborative moments that are both empowering and inspiring.

Ranaan Meyer and Nick Kendall are both graduates of the Curtis Institute of Music. Charles Yang is a graduate of The Juilliard School.

Pulitzer Prize and Grammy®-winning composer Kevin Puts has established himself as one of America’s leading composers, gaining international acclaim for his “plush, propulsive” music (The New York Times), and described by Opera News as “a master polystylist.” His work has been commissioned and performed by leading organizations around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Opera Philadelphia, Minnesota Opera, and many more, and has collaborated with leading artists such as Renée Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, Joshua Bell, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Marin Alsop, and Stéphane Denève among many others.

In March 2022 Puts’ fourth opera, The Hours had its world premiere on the concert stage by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and was hailed as a “historic event … with a lush orchestration that hits you in the solar plexus” (The Philadelphia Inquirer). The Hours premiered to sold-out houses as a fully staged production at the Metropolitan Opera in November 2022 starring sopranos Renée Fleming, Kelli O’Hara and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and was called “a stunning triumph” by Variety Magazine. The opera’s revival in May 2024 marked the first instance in the Metropolitan Opera’s history of a work returning the season after its premiere. Puts was invited to perform the final trio from the opera at the 2024 Grammy® Awards, accompanying its three leading ladies on the piano.

Puts’ breakthrough opera Silent Night – for which he was awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize following its 2011 premiere by Minnesota Opera – was heralded as “remarkable” (The New York Times) and “stunning” (Twin Cities Examiner) and has become one of the most-performed contemporary operas. Other major works include The Brightness of Light, a multi-media orchestral song cycle based on the letters of Georgia O’Keeffe featuring Renée Fleming and Rod Gilfry which premiered at Tanglewood in 2017 and received performances across the United States by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, and many others. Written for Time for Three, his triple concerto Contact had its world-premiere in March 2022 with the Florida Orchestra and subsequently received performances around the world. A recording of the piece by the Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor Xian Zhang was released on the Deutsche Grammophon album “Letters for the Future” and was awarded “Best Contemporary Classical Composition” at the 2023 Grammy® Awards. Based on The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, his House of Tomorrow for mezzo-soprano soloist, chorus and orchestra was commissioned by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the reopening of its renowned Powell Hall and was premiered in September 2025, led by Music Director Stéphane Denève with Joyce DiDonato as soloist.

Mr. Puts was named Musical America’s Composer of the Year in 2024. Since 2006, he has been a member of the Composition Faculty at the Peabody Institute. He also serves as Distinguished Visiting Composer at the Juilliard School as well as Director of the Minnesota Orchestra Composer’s Institute. All works by Kevin Puts are published worldwide by G. Ricordi & Co., New York, a Universal Music Publishing Classics & Screen company.