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- A Father's Lullaby
A Father's Lullaby
A Father's Lullaby draws inspiration from multiple sources, the primary being a
beautiful afterglow that occurs in large Gothic cathedrals, Roman and Byzantine architecture, and other spaces with open windows carefully placed to capture the evening sun rays. Seeing this is an experience filled with awe and wonder that draws me into a place of personal reflection and revelation.
So often we live in a world full of aggressive advertisements and instant gratification, but it is such a poignant moment when we can retreat into a personal and minuscule state of being, like that soft, but powerful, glimmer in a large room. From both of these ideas came the melodic content of this piece.
The piece is simple, starting only with a drone and monophonic chant. The chant is echoed with muted descending thirds, much like the light in the reverent space. Following, we hear a simple folk-like melody that sings in the rich timbre of the bass trombone - a melody that may be sung by a father, wishing the best for his child as another day draws to an end. As the evening grows dimmer, the melody fades back into the shadows of the restated chant.
The image on the front cover is a picture taken in the Hagia Sophia, located in modern-day Istanbul, Turkiye. It is this event specifically, an evening standing in the Hagia Sophia, to which this piece was written.