Album Notes

This music brings together several of my projects that have evolved over almost 10 years, resulting in a suite that takes the listener on an exotic musical journey. The title comes from the work of the 13th century Persian philosopher poet, Rumi:
Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving — it doesn't matter,
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow a hundred times,
Come, come again, come.

Part 1: Crossing the Desert
This was the first part of the suite to be created, initially as a way of using Reason and its Orkester sound bank. The main theme comes from a musical idea that entered my consciousness as I walked across the camp site during the Chatter Creek hammered dulcimer festival in the Washington Cascades several years ago. I was never sure if it was a fragment of something I heard through the trees, or if it came from another source, but it gave me just the opening two bars of the main theme of this piece. The canvas of Reason enabled me to develop this simple motif and flesh it out to reveal a mysterious scene involving the slow march of a desert caravan. The opening whistle line, returning later above the main theme, reflects the influence of nearly 20 years playing Celtic music.

Part 2: The Procession of Time
Following the completion of Part 1, I continued working the same vein of exotic modal scales to create this piece, keeping more or less the same orchestration and stereo placement of the instruments to create a sense of continuity and cohesiveness with the first piece. The music, with its rather military drum beat, again evokes the steady progression of a large group of travelers across a vast expanse of territory, not unlike our own passage through the years and stages of life.

Part 3: Flying at a Slant
Although the last to be completed, this piece was really the first, having been created as a class project in 2003. I completely revoiced and extended the original piece, adding tonal depth and smoothing the sometimes rough edges of the original orchestration. The 11/8 time signature, subdivided in different ways by different parts, creates a complex and colorful sonic picture, and the addition of the overarching whistle line ties the piece together with the rest of the suite. As you listen, perhaps you will imagine a raucous celebration under the brilliant desert stars after a long day's travel.

Part 4: Weird Weather
Third to be developed as part of this project, the musical theme in this piece is one I wrote originally as a contra dance tune. Hands4 has played Weird Weather regularly at dances for several years now. While orchestrating the tune for this project, I again brought in the prominent whistle part to tie the piece together with the others, and also added the bridge section, which creates intrigue and builds tension. Like a gathering storm, the piece gradually mounts to its dramatic conclusion.