A pair of airs was commissioned by Chamber Music Quad Cities and dedicated to the premiere performers Lily Arbisser and Thomas Sauer. Poetry is by Beth Roberts.

A pair Of airs

The Eyes of All Future Generations is a concerto for two percussionists and string orchestra. The work takes inspiration from issues of climate change and how that is manifesting over time as a result of human action and inaction. The percussion soloists employ cymbals played upside down, a Chinese drum, bamboo wind chimes, pitched metal pipes, variously sized wooden boxes, and kitchen timers throughout the piece. In each section of the work they draw unusual (for the concert hall at least) sounds out of their instruments creating a juxtaposition of connected and disconnected sound worlds that are nearly always accompanied by constant rhythmic motion in the strings (the inexorable march of time).  There is theatricality in each motion and action of the percussionists in creating these varying sounds. Embedded between each of the sections is a phrase spoken by climate activist, Greta Thunberg, "the eyes of all future generations" voiced by the Chinese drum and accompanied by a percussive pump jack motive.
 
The work was commissioned by the Chicago Composers Orchestra (CCO) and written for beyond this point with the CCO. It was a part of Homeroom Chicago’s Ten x Ten project and paired with visual artist Katherine Lampert’s work, Echo which explores time and patterns, based on the patterns from a Baculites fossil. The fossil’s patterns, which mark the different chambers, “are not only beautiful but remind us of the physicality and fragility of life.” (pictured)

01 The Gospel According to All of Ou

Echo/Normal

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