The Same River [PDF Score]

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Instrumentation:
Bass
Flute
Percussion: Floor Tom, Large Cymbal, Small Cymbal, Low Gong, High Gong

The Same River was commissioned by the ensemble Concert Black, who are a trio of diversely talented musician enthusiastic about experimentation. I wrote this piece to bring out their individual musicianship and their identity as an ensemble. This lead me to use them as vocalists as well as instrumentalists. The texts I use for the two movements are two poems written by John Knight that were based on a series of conversations we had about the challenge of retaining individuality while being socially connected. The title refers to a quote from the philosopher Heraclitus which appears at the end of the second movement: “We step and we do not step into the same river. We are and we are not.”

Duration:
00:11:30