The Cowboy Songs are three character songs. Two of the texts are drawn from cowboy/girl poetry, “Bucking Bronco” with a text by Belle Starr and “Billy the Kid” with an anonymous text. The third, “Lift me into Heaven Slowly” is the retitled “Sufi Sam Christian” of American poet Robert Creeley.

Composed in 1979 for fellow graduate student Jeannie Brindley Barnett, I thought that theses 3 poems made a nice set, suggesting a narrative without specifying one, giving me the opportunity to begin working with American English as a source of musical syntax and shape. — Libby Larsen

Mvmt. 2 "Lift Me Into Heaven Slowly"

m. 7 Voice: the G's should be G-natural

Mvmt. 3 "Billy the Kid"

m. 3 RH Piano: the first 8th note should be a D and G (not E)

m.18 LH Piano: 4th 8th note incorrect, the notes should be: C D F D …