Our Father

Slow Haze

I can not thank you enough, dearest Yayoi Kusama

CITY       CODE       7       0         7

that one time/I wasn't taken seriously

MASS

The Essence of Gravity - for Mixed SATB Choir
Duration: 18’
Commissioned by Robert Geary and the Volti choir of San Francisco
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=902
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/the-essence-of-gravity

PROGRAM NOTE
In The Essence of Gravity, I use a few key words, phrases and phonetic sounds rather than an elaborate text. Since there are so few words, I designed the text myself, and it is made up almost entirely of onomatopoeia words. The word ‘gravity’ in the title not only refers to the force of attraction by which objects tend to fall toward the center of the Earth, but also to a sense of seriousness. Each movement reflects one or both of these definitions.

The first movement, Echoes of War, contains words and phrases that make me think of war. A type of weapon called a “gravity bomb” also inspired me. This weapon is delivered by aircraft and does not contain a guidance system; it follows a ballistic trajectory. Until the later half of World War II this described all aircraft bombs, and the vast majority until the late 1980s.

The second movement is entitled Love and Kisses. Although love is an undeniably heavy subject, this movement is intended to be much more playful than serious. Perhaps it is more about the emotional pull that people have on each other.

Before I composed the third movement, Infinite Oceans, I walked along San Francisco’s Baker Beach and Lands End. Although I’ve been to the ocean many times, I am always struck by the seemingly infinite-sounding tides and lonely-sounding foghorns I often hear in the distance. This movement is inspired by the gravitational pull of the moon, the primary force responsible for the ocean’s tides. This movement also alludes to the stories of the mythological Greek Sirens that lured sailors to their deaths with their beautiful singing.

Although many people might not think of machines as evoking a sense of gravity, they seem important in ways that may not be readily apparent. Without machines such as the Space Shuttle, we would not be able to explore outer space. For better or worse, they are integral to our modern way of life. In this sense, the fourth movement, Machines, pays homage to the machines that enrich our lives by allowing us to defy gravity.

Eternal Reflections

The Essence of Gravity - I. Echoes of War

Despair (Heart)

A music representation of a feeling of despair. 
--
Photo by Dmitry Schemelev on Unsplash

Despair

Despair – Ambient & Cinematic Music

Downbeat ambient track written and produced in February 2021 - big thanks to Oliver James for playing guitar on this track.

ft. Oliver James

Odyssey

“A Welcome Ghost” 

This room, empty now, 
But not before, there was much more, 

Silence now, without a sound, 
It Used to sing, more than anything, 

years have gone, and so have you, 
This place takes on a different hue, 

These memories they haunt it’s true, 
But a welcome ghost of what I knew, 

A welcome ghost of what I knew, X3
These memories I keep of you, 

This tree, where I would sit, 
Deep in thought, at all life brought, 

You found me there, and I am still, 
But new limbs have grown, since last you’ve shown, 

Years have gone, and so have you, 
The leaves they bloom a different hue, 

These memories they haunt it’s true
But a welcome ghost of what I knew, 

A welcome ghost of what I knew, x3
These memories I keep of you, 

This river, still it flows, 
And ships float on, down currents strong, 

Behind the trees, along the bank, 
The gold sun set, And I won’t forget, 

Years have gone, and so have you, 
And the sky It burns a different hue, 

These memories they haunt it’s true, 
But a welcome ghost of what I knew, 

These memories I keep of you.

A Welcome Ghost

I wanted to create the sound of an old western standoff. Ennio Morricone was the best at this during the Spaghetti Western era. This was my take of a standoff with a system you realize is wrong and needs to change. I tried to capture that standoff feeling using my guitar and a 3 way split harmony on the chorus. Hope you enjoy. 

“Stand-off” 

There comes a time you realize, 
The truths you’re taught are someone else’s lies, 

Those you thought were the ones to follow, 
Are nothing more than puppets, fake and hollow, 

But you worked so hard, you spent so long, 
Do you keep down this road knowing that it’s wrong? 

Or With this new truth you’ve seen, 
Do you change course to alter the machine? 

Stand off x3
Stand off with the false regime 

In that time you realize, 
You will not live for someone else’s lies, 

Those who one time praised your name, 
become the first to shower you in blame, 

You called them out, you said they’re wrong, 
Now the puppet master’s anger rages strong, 

And with Every new punch that they throw,  
You plant new seeds of change and pray they grow

Pray they grow x3

Standoff

American composer Robert Paterson is a true New Yorker—born and bred in Buffalo, he lived in Rochester and Ithaca for over ten years, in New York City for over twenty years, and now lives in Saratoga Springs, near the Adirondacks. Paterson’s colorful music embraces a wide variety of themes, everything from goddesses and online dating to mathematics and the environment. His music is filled with emotion and fierce rhythmic energy, marked by elegance, wit, and meticulous craftsmanship. Named Composer of The Year by the Classical Recording Foundation at Carnegie Hall, Paterson is the winner of the Alfred I. DuPont Award, and his opera Three Way won the Grammy® under Best Classical Producer of the Year. His music is often a Best of the Year pick on National Public Radio. His orchestral tone poem, Dark Mountains, regularly airs on NPR’s Performance Today. Three Way premiered with Nashville Opera, then BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), and across the United States. Minnesota Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, The Oratorio Society of New York, Buffalo Philharmonic, Albany Pro Musica, Albany Symphony, Musica Sacra, Austin Symphony, Vermont Symphony, and ensembles worldwide perform his works. Paterson gives masterclasses at the Curtis Institute of Music, New York University, the Aspen Music Festival, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and more. He is the Artistic Director and house composer for Mostly Modern Projects. Robert is a lifelong vegan and advocates for animals and the environment, celebrating the natural world with ground-breaking works such as his Triple Concerto, A New Eaarth, Listen, and I Go Among Trees.

The Essence of Gravity - I. Echoes of War

Robert Paterson Composer