Songs of Love and Loss “Songs of Love and Loss was originally written for bass voice and piano, and premiered by Bryan Matthews at Juilliard in 1984. Subsequently in 2004, I arranged the work for Bass Trombone and Piano for Charlie Vernon, who premiered the work at the International Trombone Association Festival at Ithaca College. The poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay, with her beautiful, sometimes enigmatic, and always evocative poetry was the inspiration for the four songs of this cycle.” (Eric Ewazen)