The Great Marsh (2016)
FOR string quartet
20 minutes
Program Notes
Stretching across the Massachusetts North Shore from Gloucester to Salisbury, the Great Marsh is the largest salt marsh in New England. My piece is a collection of snap shot impressions, each movement a reflection on some special feature of this beautiful area. On my first visit to the Great Marsh I couldn’t help but think this is what much of the New England coast must have looked like long ago: vast stretches of marsh, barrier beaches, and tidal rivers fanning out for miles, an eternity of mud, grass, and brackish water. The first movement, Salt Hay, refers to the tall thin grass common to the area. Rushing scales, flowing lines, and bright harmonies burst forward, evoking the quicksilver motion of Salt Hay as it flashes back and forth in the wind. In the second movement slowly shifting harmonies, suspended dissonance, and languid motion evoke the oozy muck of tidal Mudflats while a playful, buoyant third movement represents the Seaside Sparrow, a rare bird local to coastal marshes. The final movement, Estuary, reflects on the perpetual tidal ebb and flow, the transition from land to sea, and the ancient, delicate balance of life sustained by the Great Marsh.
The Great Marsh was commissioned by Music at Eden’s Edge and premiered July 12, 2016 at the First Baptist Church, Beverly, MA by musicians from Music at Eden’s Edge.
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Performances
July 16, 2016 Congregational Church of Topsfield, Topsfield, MA. Music at Eden’s Edge.
July 15, 2016 North Shore Arts Association, Gloucester, MA. Music at Eden’s Edge.
July 12, 2016 Beverly First Baptist Church, Beverly, MA. Music at Eden’s Edge.