s a i l s m a d e o f

e t h e r

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Program Note

The genesis of this piece came from the vivid descriptions that a friend launched into for our first dungeons and dragons’ campaign. He started off by stating that all around us was dense cloud cover; one could reach out and feel as their hands were coated with condensation. He went on to point out how alone we all felt; we could not see 10 feet before ourselves, let alone each other. There was a sense of stillness. And slowly, ever so slowly, he revealed more of the narrative, and all became clear. It was a beautiful telling of what continues to be a wonderful adventure.

s a i l s  m a d e  o f  e t h e r deals with the idea of contradiction and stagnation. Each of the musicians are asked to perform a tremolo as close to the tip of the bow as possible on a single note. The melody is slow and repetitive, and promotes atmosphere of peace. That is until it is interrupted and becomes more violent in nature. It returns to a more peaceful atmosphere, with tinges of the previous violent material. In composing this piece, the same imagery continued to come up for myself. The title alludes to this imagery, as well as the floating feeling one might expect beyond the clouds. That area that is just on the fringe of magic and reality. The ether.