“The Four Elements” project arose out of my interest in nature, and the traditional elements of nature – earth, air, water, and fire. (see lyrics below) Composed in my garden and deeply influenced by the ebb and flow of the natural world, I chose one aspect of each of the elements as they revealed themselves in that space: earth became clay, air became breath, water became rain, and fire became light. Written over a year’s time, “Light” is the second piece of the set to be recorded.
"Light" is a complex piece that sounds simple. Polyrhythms underly the structure of the piece, with changing meters and multiple shifting patterns between the piano, synths, bass and percussion. The lyrics sung above this rhythmic bed explore the source of light and its transformation and reflection; the final section resolves into a sung chant of "lux aeterna" - Latin for "eternal light." You can read more about the compositional process at my blog Composer in the Garden (follow blog link to see posts “Fire and Light: When the Idea is Too Big” and “At the Speed of Light”)
Lyrics by Lynn Emberg Purse, ©2012
Light, Light
Solar plexus, solar flare, fire burning through the air becomes
Light, through the leaves
Light, through the clouds
The edge of dawn, the hem of night,
Chasing shadows in the race to
Light
Gathered on the waters, reflected by the moon.
Even once removed, its power streams into the night!
Light
Lux aeterna, lux aeterna
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