The Whispering Wind

The title for "The Whispering Wind" comes from a line in the poem "Miracle Hill", by Emerson Blackhorse Mitchell. Composed in 2001, the composition begins with small, "echo-like" statements. Gradually, these melodic fragments, or cells, elongate with slowly graduated harmonies. As new ideas are introduced into the composition, older fragments "whisper" back in various juxtapositions, simultaneities, and orchestral colorings.Cabrillo Festival, Marin Alsop, conductor. Premiere: August 12, 2006.