…THROUGH ITS DARKNESS
The title of my work refers to the central point of inspiration – the image of a small group of people journeying through an enormous dark cave towards what may or may not be an exit.

My work is in four interconnected movements, and deals with echoes and call-and-response throughout – I’ve tried to create the acoustics of a cave within the orchestra itself. It starts with six loud and heavy sounds – like doors slamming – that echo through the orchestra in different ways, while two sets of castanets trudge along like footsteps. The second movement is fast, and functions sort of as a scene change. It leads to the third movement, a lament for solo violas and brass.

The fourth movement has the clearest call-and-response music. Under rain-like pizzicatos, the horns send out signals that are then echoed by two groups of instruments, one soft and warm, one sharp and cold. I liked this section so much, I repeated it, albeit very differently – I tried to turn the whole sound into air. And I found out there was an oboe solo hiding in it.