Starsail
| Year Composed: | 2008 |
| Instrumentation: | vcl, pno |
| Duration | 12 minutes |
Audio Excerpts (MP3)
Program Notes
Not long ago I encountered a stunning image from a source in popular culture. In this depiction, a ship sails the open sea on a clear, cloudless night; glimpsed from above, it appears that the vessel is gliding on a sea of stars.
This image had surprising resonance with me, as it seemed to suggest a metaphor for the lone individual’s journey into the great unknown, both beautiful and terrifying in its infinitude and mystery. In Starsail, the cellist embarks on such a journey, venturing heroically beyond the comforts of ‘home’ (represented at the outset by a lush ‘Romantic’ theme) into the wilderness of human experience. The music’s shifting stylistic idioms and adventurous structures are attempts to ‘surf’ the boundary between order and chaos, to navigate beyond the confines of what we know and understand (both essential to growth and inherently dangerous) while anchoring ourselves to the traditions that define us. As the piece veers into stranger and stranger worlds, the principal theme for Starsail resurfaces during crucial moments like a refrain, reminding us constantly of home—where we are, and who we are.
Starsail was originally commissioned by Sarah Steeves and was premiered at McGill University in March, 2008.
Performances
- March 19, 2008 - Sarah Steeves, cello; Lauretta Altman, piano. Redpath Hall, McGill University, Montreal
- November 25, 2010 - Rachel Mercer, cello; Angela Park, piano. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto
Commissions and Awards
- commissioned by Sarah Steeves
- winner of the 2010 Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music