Menlo Park, 1879

On the evening of December 31, 1879, Thomas Edison unveiled the first practical electric light bulb to the public at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. A train was commissioned to bring the New York press and others from the city to Edison’s tiny outpost. Upon arriving, the passengers walked up a small snow-covered hill that was lit by 20 electric lampposts leading to his laboratory filled with the warm glow of incandescent bulbs.

My piece is a tone poem inspired by this special moment in history. The work opens with the gloomy night train, slowly bringing up speed and chattering with the passengers’ anticipation for what is to come. This is followed by a lyrical adagio based on a sarabande progression that represents the ascent to the illuminated building on the hilltop. The work concludes with the return journey that describes the excitement and hope for a new electrical age. Ultimately, I hope that this composition will inspire listeners to remember that even in the darkest of times we can always look towards the future.

- Program Note by composer