Wind ~ Earth ~ Sea

Wind ~ Earth ~ Sea for soprano, violin and harp was written for my friend Elizabeth Volpé, principal harp with the Vancouver Symphony. It was premiered on March 18, 1987 in the Recital Hall of the University of British Columbia by Erica Northcott (soprano), Akira Nagai (violin), and Elizabeth Volpé. It was also premiered on the same day in Boston at a chapter meeting of the College Music Society by Judith Kellock (soprano), Sharon Levanthal (violin) of Marimolin, and Judy Saiki (harp). This is one of the first pieces where I mixed long movements with epigrammatic interludes. It also mixes extremely lyrical movements with terse, atonal movements. I think it works well, though I was called a “touchy-feely” composer by a Harvard graduate student who heard it.

The recording below is by Judith Kellock, soprano, Martha Moor, harp and John Daverio, violin