In my “remix” of Dido’s Lament, I’ve taken the harmonic content of the original and compressed it into a short second of sound. This sound is rearranged in multiple ways through-out the piece, such as: original order of appearance, alphabetical order, randomized, and etc. These “bursts” of high-density piano sounds are triggered by a sampler. Every time the sampler is triggered, the pianist plays the corresponding key on the grand piano. As the piece unfolds, the trigger of the sound and the sound itself drifts apart, moving towards a floating, weightless ecstasy.
Death invades me; Death is now a welcome guest.
Instrumentation:
for male + female singers, piano + sampler, and unspecified large ensemble
Performances:
- AYRE: Erato Ensemble -- May 24th, 2014 -- St. Andrew Wesley United Church
commissioned by Erato Ensemble