Michael Crummey
Michael Crummey is an award winning poet/author from Newfoundland. The first set of songs, composed in 2025 - titled "Confession and Other Lyrics" was awarded 1st Prize for the NATS Art Song Competition in 2026.
Current Song Cycles
Confession & Other Lyrics
New Cycle (Title TBA)
1. Confession
2. Rust
3. Devil's Footprint
4. Row
1. Useful Information, the Holy Lands
2. On Water
3. The Stars, after John's Homebrew
4. Company
5. The Kids are Alright
A word about the poetry and the selection process
These songs have a broad range of styles and lengths. All texts stay true to the poem; no words have been omitted or altered. Some of the songs are quite long (Easter 1916 is about 9 Minutes) while others are short. Winds of May from Joyce's Chamber music is over after a dashing 45 seconds!
Some of the poems are quite well known, others less so. The songbook is constantly expanding, and new songs will be added as they come into existence. We are interested in finding new material so please reach out if you have a suggestion!
Some of the listed songs are partial works of the whole. Notable is Oscar Wilde's Ballad of Reading Gaol. The work is simply massive, however composition is in progress. Currently the first completed parts encompass the first 42 lines of the poem. As other pieces are completed, that number of lines will be extended further.