Writer, musician and playwright R.B. Morris – whose poetry often reflects on East Tennessee culture and history – served as Knoxville’s first Poet Laureate 2016-2018.
As a singer-songwriter, he has released a half-dozen acclaimed albums and EPs, and his songs have been recorded by John Prine and Marianne Faithfull, among others. Morris’ published books of poetry include “Early Fires,” “Keeping the Bees Employed” and “The Mockingbird Poems.” He has served as Writer-in-Residence at the University of Tennessee.
William Wright is a composer of original music for film, television, and the concert hall and is a graduate of Berklee College of Music where he received a bachelor's degree, with distinction, in Music Composition. He also holds an advanced professional specialization in Orchestration for Film and Television.
Morris and Wright's work has been presented at Big Ears six collective times, but this performance is their debut as collaborators. The Mockingbird will be presented on Thursday, March 27th at 7pm at St. John's Cathedral in downtown Knoxville. Morris will read from his collection of poetry, The Mockingbird, for which Wright has composed music. Scored for three vocalists and chamber ensemble, the music is loosely notated, allowing the musicians room for improvisation, self-expression, and spontaneous interaction with one another during the performance. Like the book of poems, the music is structured into four main sections, which are connected by fully notated interludes. The improvisatory element of the composition ensures that no two performances will ever be the same.