KiMani Bridges's Uplifted --  scored for flute, clarinet, saxophone, and woodblocks

Recorded as part of the 2021 Festival of Faiths on November 19, 2021 at the Kentucky Center of the Arts

Uplifted

Written for the Crossing Choir's 2022 album "Carols After a Plague," this composition is by no means a joyful "carol," in the traditional sense. Rather, it is a contemplative work that I feel deals with the question of what exactly are we referring to when we speak of "the plague" in the context of this very critical time (the year 2020, and up to the present). Is this "plague" limited to the COVID 19 pandemic we are still experiencing? Are we only making work about this pandemic only, or (speaking for myself and for my culture) perhaps the centuries old pandemic of white supremacy in America and in Europe?

Perhaps, while listening, we shall thusly consider first the continued feeling of being confined in isolation; the despair and frustration that we experienced as a result of social distancing, and the everyday precarity of life as an artist for those who are struggling. Furthermore, we shall examine the uptick in physical and gun violence as it concerns not only racism, but sexism, homophobia, and religious fanaticism, among many other civil strifes. Not to mention the threat of eviction, the separation of migrant familes through deportation and other means, homelessness, climate change, and so on... This composition is a direct response to all of the above.

Carols after a Plague

Requiem for a Plague

Inspired by and evocative of John Coltrane's quartet performance of the composition "Untitled 90320," For Harold Budd is a meditative piece written for alto flute, vibraphone, and piano. Performers are Margaret Lancaster (alto flute); David Broome (piano); and Russell Greenberg (vibraphone). Score available upon request.

Scores - Recordings

For Harold Budd

THIS AUDIO RECORDING IS ARCHIVAL AND UNPUBLISHED. 

World premiere performed live on August 18, 2022 by Timothy McAllister (alto saxophone) and the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra.

For Wadada Leo Smith (Adagio)

live performance by the Fidelio Trio at Ithaca College on February 26th, 2024

note | This past Fall I spent countless hours roaming the gardens of Dumbarton Oaks as their Musician-in-Residence. I took particular joy in listening to the changing soundscapes throughout the day, from colorful talkative birds to plump, overly comfortable rabbits chewing right by my feet. At dusk, the insects took over and I would make a point to join them each evening. Sometimes I would see shadows at the edge of my vision that would move with me.

Near the end of my residency I shared those experiences with other fellows, slightly jokingly. But they shared their own numerous experiences with shadows in the garden. It didn’t feel too surprising; gardens have their own memories and ghosts, especially, I’m sure, those with complicated legacies. I’m happy they felt comfortable enough to say hello.

shadow in the garden [2023] | Fidelio Trio

Performed by Hub New Music. University of Houston - 17 February 2024.

THIS AUDIO IS RAW AND UNEDITED.

For Alvin Singleton

For ten instruments. Performed by Talea Ensemble (David Baker, conductor) on 28 March 2023.

THIS AUDIO IS RAW AND UNEDITED.

For Wayne Shorter

This song was written in dedication to two of the most important matriarchs in my life: my late grandmother Emma Jenkins Kale and my late great aunt Edith Jenkins Shear, also known as ‘The Twins.’ I wrote this song after my great aunt’s passing and before my grandmother’s passing. This song was an attempt to come to terms with life in a world in which only one of The Twins were living.

While the music for this song is original, the text for this song includes forgotten text from “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” as well as the line “to light its earthly sister all through the night” from the original Welsh text of the hymn “Ar Hyd y Nos” (All Through the Night), which honors of our family’s Welsh roots and was sung at my Great Aunt Edie’s funeral.

Light the way for those in your life who need a guiding light. Light the way for those who were never given that light. Light the way for your sister, your mother, your loves, yourself.

- Annika Socolofsky, 2019

Text
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
And you twinkle, twinkle, all through the night.
Light your earthly sister, all through the night.

- Text by Jane Taylor and John Ceiriog Hughes

Performed April 14, 2024 by Elizabeth Swanson and CU Boulder Choirs

Uplifted

KiMani Bridges -- Music

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