Nature Restores

Nature Restores, As The River Flows is a work for String Orchestra composed during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. COVID 19, a novel virus, has gripped the world with unprecedented force affecting millions medically, financially, and emotionally. Underlying the trauma and tragedy is a sense of optimism that the pandemic will pass. It may just be the human spirit that bolsters the optimism, the antithesis to the crisis, but as we look to nature, we see the ebb and flow of cycles. Seasons change, weather patterns change, living things die and new growth appears. Perhaps that is what gives us hope. The rapid pizzicato throughout imitates the bustle of birds, plants, and animals I observed as the spring season unfolded in full glory during shelter in place. In the opening, the first violin plays the sound of a bird chirping, while the lower strings toggle a mysterious accompaniment, representing the anxiety felt as I walked the trails near my home. The brisk tempo echoes the activity of nature I witnessed, and signifies the urgency of change. The syncopated rhythms in parallel fourths emphasize the contrast between uncertainty and hope. This work should be performed with spirit and expression. This piece may be performed alone, or as a trilogy with Life Endures and Water Glistens, other works in my catalog that were composed during the pandemic.