an everywhere of silver

an everywhere of silver for solo harp and ensemble (2016) "An everywhere of silver, With ropes of sand To keep it from effacing The track called land." Emily Dickinson's words evoke in me a kind of overwhelming vastness and ubiquity—a wild power just barely contained, just beyond one's reach. This poem is one of her many descriptions of the sea, though the silver that inspired me to write this piece comes instead from another everywhere: the sky. I have always been fascinated, obsessed, by the play of light and shadow in clouds illuminated by the sun, and Dickinson's poem resonates deeply with how the vastness of the sky entrances me and fills me with wonder. Silver and light also come to mind in the gentle brightness and iridescence of the harp's timbre, so on a personal level the title feels perfect for a harp concerto—an everywhere in which the instrument roils and flashes against a shimmering backdrop of other colors and temperaments. The work consists of two large movements which together form an enormous antecedent-consequent gesture, a single breath.