Celestial Canons

Composer in residence Eric Guinivan was commissioned to create a new work for percussion ensemble, taking inspiration from some aspect of Beethoven’s legacy. He opted for the canons, those acorns again that have now helped inspire a new tree of percussive majesty. As Guinivan notes:

Celestial Canons is a musical depiction of the fourth day of the biblical creation story, during which the sun, moon, and stars are created. The textures, moods, and narrative shape of the work are directly inspired by this astronomical imagery, and the instrumentation of the ensemble is constructed to allow for a wide variety of high and low timbres and color combinations. As the title might suggest, the piece is constructed from an intricately-woven tapestry of canonic melodies that rotate among the three members of the ensemble.
Movement 1, “Sun,” begins with just a flickering of metallic light and gradually flares into a burst of radiant energy. Movement 2, “Moon,” is more introspective and reflective, drawing upon lower, colder, and darker sounds. Movement 3, “Stars,” begins with light, pointed, and sparkling rhythms that gradually evolve towards a tumultuous, thundering conclusion intended to be evocative of the creation of a massive and rapidly expanding cosmos. The piece draws upon an immense diversity of percussion instruments. The three players involved perform upon 6 Triangles, 9 Singing Bowls, 12 Drums, 3 Tam-tams, 3 Timpani, Chimes, 4 Noah Bells, 2 Bell Trees, 2 Log Drums, and Chimes.

(c) Jason Stell and Eric Guinivan