St. Gemma Galgani Receives the Stigmata (2019)
soprano and piano
St. Gemma Galgani was an Italian mystic who lived from 1878 to 1903. Her short life was filled largely with illness and intense prayer. On June 18, 1899, she received the stigmata, the marks of the crucified Christ’s wounds, for the first of many times. The dramatic text of my piece comes from her diary entry describing the experience.
St. Gemma… was written for, and is dedicated to Gina Marie Falk.