Author: debmin

In the Grass

Face downward on the grass in reverie
I found how cool and sweet
Are the green blooms that often thoughtlessly
I tread beneath my feet.

In this strange mimic wood where grasses lean–
Elf trees untouched of bark–
I heard the hum of insects, saw the sheen
Of sunlight framing dark,

And felt with thoughts I cannot understand
And know not how to speak,
A daisy reaching up its little hand
To lay it on my cheek.

Ethelwyn Wetherald (1857-1940)

  • Premiered by the University of British Columbia Women’s Choir at UBC Recital Hall, 17 March, 2006.

 

Published
Categorised as Choral

La banqueroute

text- traditional French-Canadian

  • Read by Chor Leoni Men’s Choir at New Compositions Workshop, 18 January, 2006.

 

Published
Categorised as Choral

Ice Sculptures

Ice Sculptures is essentially a study in colour and texture. The violin and cello parts are like an eye, traveling slowly over the surface of a sculpted piece of ice, and taking in the subtle transformative effects of a light source on the different angles and facets of a prismic object. The pitch material in the piece evolves gradually, passing through various textural effects in the strings, such as sul ponticello, harmonics, and different degrees of vibrato; there is an element of coldness present until the marimba enters in the middle section of the piece and introduces a new layer of colour, as well as some more rapid activity on the surface level. Although the piece requires a great deal of control to perform, it is meant to evoke in the listener a more organic process of transformation.

  • Ice Sculptures was premiered by Erin James- violin, Alex Sia- cello, and Bernie Yeh- marimba, at the University of British Columbia Recital Hall, 4 April, 2005.

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Sheet music is available through the Canadian Music Centre.

Little Tango (alternate title: “Northern Tango”)

1 min. 30 sec.

One unique aspect of being away from a big city is being able to enjoy and appreciate nature, and one of the most beautiful and spectacular canvases on which to observe natural phenomena is the night sky. Stars and other celestial bodies are certainly more visible away from the glow of city lights, and depending on location and time of year, events such as shooting stars or the aurora borealis (northern lights) will animate the sky. This piece emerges out of a backdrop of nighttime shadows, into a colourful celestial dance.

 

  • Published as part of the solo piano collection “Making Tracks, Vol. 4: Small Town Canada”, available through the Canadian National Conservatory of Music:

 

http://www.cncm.ca/making-tracks.html

[audio:../wp-content/uploads/littletango.mp3|titles=Little Tango (alt: Northern Tango)]

 

Mahogany

This piece was inspired by two very different musical sources: that of early 20th century Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu, and that of early 20th century Cuban bandleader and composer Ignacio Piñeiro. On the surface, these two sources of music seem disparate, but upon closer inspection, one might discover some strange similarities between the two. I was drawn to Martinu’s concept of “vertical space,” as well as to Piñeiro’s notions of rhythm and melody. Mahogany grew out of my love for the cello, and my desire to explore the richly-colored timbre of its voice.

  • Premiered at “Surface Tension” concert, Douglas College Theatre, New Westminster, BC, 27 August 2005.

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Sheet music is available through the Canadian Music Centre.

Theme for Pascale Boinot

Theme for Pascale Boinot was composed for a short film, directed by Cat Mills, which was screened at Empire Granville 7 Cinemas, Vancouver, Canada, on April 28-29th, 2006. The piano part was performed by Heather Harty. The solo piano was meant to evoke something sensual and human– mirroring the dynamics between two lovers/characters in the film. I tried to keep the musical language simple yet elegant– much in the style of Erik Satie’s Gymnopédies.

Sheet music is available through Syrinx Press:

www.elizabethknudson.ca/syrinx-press