HYMNING (2016)
FOR SOLO MARIMBA
8 minutes
Program Notes
I grew up singing and playing hymns. I’m not particularly religious, but somehow they stuck with me. I love them for that. I love how they’ve always been there. How they never fail to reach me, to draw out some long forgotten feeling. They’re like an old friend: we don’t keep in touch so well, but every time we see each other we pick up right where we left off. My piece Hymning is like a daydream, a quiet stroll through hazy recollections of these tunes. I don’t think I quote anything specifically, rather it’s a sort of fantasy, an extended riff on little phrases that feel similar to probably hundreds of different tunes. After a long, meandering first section the music finds it’s way back to the beginning. On second look the tune takes a few unexpected turns. Digressions lead to wistful flourishes and unexpected tonal detours before returning once again to the opening idea. The piece ends, but I think there’s a sense it might still be going, quietly, barely heard, somewhere off in the distance. I can pick up this thread any time. It’s always there.
Hymning was commissioned by Michael Burritt and premiered November 11, 2016 at PASIC 2016, Indianapolis, IN.
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Recent Performances
May 28, 2025 Nashville Marimba Sessions, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Gabriel Estrada.
April 19, 2025 BGSU, Bowling Green, OH. Emma Zemancik.
April 9, 2025 University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. Chris Rosas.
April 1, 2025 Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA. Faith Neufville.
March 28, 2025 UT Arlington, TX. Gabriel Estrada.
February 5, 2025 West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas. Ryan Boehme.
December 19, 2025 University of Panama, Panama City, Panama. Fermín Aguilar.
November 18, 2024 Missouri State University, Springfield, MO. Lyndon Wilson.
November 11, 2024 Missouri State University, Springfield, MO. Lyndon Wilson.
October 25, 2024 Missouri State University, Springfield, MO. Lyndon Wilson.