...Her set ended with the charming “Two Selections From ‘Calligrammes,’ ” chansonlike settings of Apollinaire texts by Albert Behar, who accompanied Ms. Greif on accordion.

Vocal versatility and an omnivorous curiosity were the hallmarks of the performance by Lucy Dhegrae, who founded the festival. In Jason Eckhardt’s “Dithyramb,” from “Tongues,” she explored the timbre and color of individual consonants, which become the rhythmic fuel of the piece. In the gospel-tinged “In Old Virginny” for voice and double bass, by Shawn Jaeger, it’s the bowed bass (played elegantly by Doug Balliett) that is agitated and cerebral, while the vocal part is natural and free.

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Mr. Balliett defined the next piece, his own “Clytie and the Sun,” as “a rap cantata for rapper, soprano, harp, saxophone, piano and electric guitar.” His texts, based on a story from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” were brilliant and witty, but his delivery was too ironically poised to be convincing. There were nice textures in the music, especially in the interplay of piano, harp and guitar, and in the blending of Ms. Dhegrae’s wordless singing and Mr. Balliett’s recitation.