Program Note
first winter rain is an arrangement of my choral piece of the same title, setting haiku by Matsuo Basho. The text that inspires this piece is:
just for today
let's grow old together
first winter rain
--Matsuo Basho, translated by Lisa Neher with assistance from Kenn Harvey and Yoko Yamada
I love the metaphor of the end of the year being akin to the waning of life. The poem reminds us to pause and be together before this journey precious of life is over. The falling imitative motives represent drops of rain, and are purposefully offset from one another, illustrating the natural asymmetry of gentle rain. This arrangement was composed for the Composers Concordance Imitations Concert in 2024.
just for today
let's grow old together
first winter rain
--Matsuo Basho, translated by Lisa Neher with assistance from Kenn Harvey and Yoko Yamada
I love the metaphor of the end of the year being akin to the waning of life. The poem reminds us to pause and be together before this journey precious of life is over. The falling imitative motives represent drops of rain, and are purposefully offset from one another, illustrating the natural asymmetry of gentle rain. This arrangement was composed for the Composers Concordance Imitations Concert in 2024.