A cappella SATB
Aurora
Aurora (for a cappella SATB chorus, duration 6 mins)
Inuit cultures tell many legends about the aurora borealis, aksarnirq. In some tribes, the spirits are believed to be carrying torches to guide us to the sky, in others, these incredible lights are manifestations of spirits playing, dancing, moving in joy and play. This piece pulls together words from some of these legends alongside vocal solos drawing upon the Sámi shepherding tradition of kulning to celebrate ice, winter, and the spectacular natural play of light.
Fear (Becoming the Ocean)
Fear (Becoming the Ocean) (for a cappella SATB chorus, duration 4 mins). Featuring solos for 2 sopranos. Text by Khalil Gibran
Times of change can be intimidating; there is something frightening about standing at the foot of the unknown. Behind us lies something we know and recognize, ahead – something daunting, formless, immense. Poets throughout history have written about that moment of hesitation just before a change, when we hold our fragile hopes and look for the courage to confront whatever is to come. Perhaps – like Gibran’s river – we too are more powerful than we think. Perhaps, if we are just brave enough, our hopes too can transform whatever comes.
In Perfect Light
In Perfect Light (for a cappella SATB chorus, duration 5 mins)
A tranquil reflection on finding solace in death through images of stars in the night sky.
Though my soul will set in darkness,
it will rise in perfect light.
I have loved the stars too fondly
to be fearful of the night.
adapted from The Old Astronomer by Sarah Williams (English, 19th Century)
Winter’s Vow
Winter’s Vow (for a cappella SATB chorus, duration 6 mins)
Written as an homage to the season, Winter’s Vow begins by evoking the stillness of a cold winter night. As the music grows to weaving lines and lush melodies, the singers’ voices paint a vision of a Christmas both secular and spiritual; where ice, wind, and a single shining star herald the coming of Spring.
Absence
Absence (for a cappella SATB chorus, duration 5 mins)
An impressionistic setting of image-filled poetry searching for the divine beloved.
SATB with piano
Light Shines
Light Shines (SATB with piano , featuring extended solos for one soprano, one alto and one tenor, duration 8 mins.)
A secular meditation on finding hope through difficult times. Impressionistic and coloristic, this piece features textures imitating wind and raindrops, modal scales, and dramatic dynamic effects.
SATB with harp and percussion
Four Reflections on the Night
Four Reflections on the Night (for SATB chorus with percussion and harp. 17 mins, can be further excerpted as needed.)
A four movement performance excerpt from the cantata We Look to the Stars. Bringing together myths, poems and excerpts of prose from cultures around the world, Four Reflections celebrates not only the night sky, but also with it the things that unite us in the human experience.
Cantata
We Look to the Stars
We Look to the Stars – Cantata for SATB chorus, percussion (3 players), harp and vocal soloists. (2 sopranos, 1 mezzo-soprano, 1 alto, 1 tenor). Duration 60 minutes, may be excerpted as needed.
Drawing on myths and writing from different cultures, this cantata is a musical celebration of the wonders of the night sky. Across history, culture, time and space—every division and divide among us—we all look at the same stars. Bringing together vocal soloists with SATB chorus and a small group of instrumentalists, We Look to the Stars embraces our universal, human connection with a journey through the night sky in song. Commissioned by Los Angeles Opera