Begun at the 360 Xochi Quetzal residency of Mexico, finished just after moving to North Carolina from Chicago.  At the time I was writing this piece, three humans whom I loved passed away.  I'd like to share a favorite poem by one of them below.  Sunstruck exhibits some of the uncertainty I experienced during that time.  On the other hand I hoped to express moments of revelation, thus the title, moments where all seemed clear and beautiful.  A few of these moments graced me during that period.

 

I remain deeply grateful to New Thread Quartet for sinking their talons into this intensely pressurized music.

We are mutually grateful that New Music USA chose to support our project in 2014.

 

 

Deep Mountain Gap, by N. Breitling

 

 

    the emptiness between mountains

    is not seen by a person

 

    but heard

    in a resonance

 

    owls punctuate

    the aether and

 

    opaquely settle back

    into the pines

 

    the moon resonant

    in a waning silhouette

 

    air beams translucent

    against the shadows

 

    returning to deep forest

    in ribbons of echoes

 

    streaming down

    and rebounding agains

 

    shining with the barren summit 

    and the blue stained lichen

 

    in an overtone