In Your Light

The first part in a cycle of Rumi settings entitled Three Themes of Life and Love, this work explores one of the most joyful of Rumi's poems and expresses it musically in a churning statement of pure ecstasy. These pieces are written for SATB choir and percussion accompaniment, to be played by a singleperformer. Just as Rumi's works are at once erotic and full of an earthy humanity, the use of these dramatic and colorful percussion instruments, traditionally found in the orchestral palette, aids in placing Rumi's words in an appropriately passionate tone of expression. The occasional use of non-western instruments, such as the bat drum in "Drumsound Rises" (the third of the threesettings), give the music a raw, ethnic feel. "In Your Light" begins this cycle of Rumi settings with a powerfully energized tone that expresses the full depth and height of this inherent joy. Daniel Elder