Program Notes

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    During the troublesome gestation of Mokoma Moon I took a brief vacation to Lake Mokoma, a man-made lake in rural

Sullivan County, PA where I go night swimming whenever possible and witness the illumination of the moon on the dark surrounding forests. Through the simplest of gestures, a sustained pitch that slips in and out of focus, the sly haziness of the opening texture and understated complexity of the shifting harmonic sands inspired visions of the placid, bright moon over a warm, shimmering nighttime lake. The unique challenges of this unique ensemble required creative solutions to balance and cohesion, and the difficulty of realizing this piece ultimately coerced a careful and considerately sparse soundscape. Also, one night, this fish wouldn’t leave me alone while I was standing in the water, and some gestures in this piece are directed towards that fish.

August 27 2022