Prayers and Meditations [2005]
“Prayer” and “meditation” commonly evoke only associations of stillness, quiet and passivity. For the devout, however, they can also suggest images of action, disquiet and distress, even sudden and jarring insight. Prayers and Meditations was written with this second set of notions in mind.
The texts are from mystics from diverse traditions, and taken together describe a kind of arc. Because Teresa of Avila couches her prayer in the subjunctive mood, the prayer sets forth a path yet to be travelled. The prayer of Hildegard of Bingen is filled with images of fulfillment and abundance, and reflects the mystic's intense engagement with a present moment. The night prayer of Rabi'a al-Addiwaya, the spiritual mother of the Sufis, closes the piece. It describes the cessation of the business of the world yet, for Rabi'a, marks the beginning of a night of prayer.
performances
Judith Kellock & chamber ensemble; Wichita, KS (Mar 2007)
Catherine Verrilli, sop., & chamber ens.; St. Cloud, MN (Apr 2006)
Evanston, IL: Jury-selected for CMS Great Lakes Regional Conference (Mar 2006)
UW–Madison Contemporary Chamber Ensemble; Madison, WI (fall 2005)
Christine Buckstead, sop., & chamber ensemble; Madison, WI (spring 2005)