Year composed: 2003
Duration: 4′
Instrumentation: flute with electronics
Notes:
The Other Side of the World is a meditation on loss. In this work for flute and tape, I use three poems by John Campion which address the conquest of Native American culture by Europeans, and its resulting ecological devestation. The first poem speaks of the destruction of salmon, echoed throughout by sounds suggesting the wind and sea. The flute embodies the shaman, drawing the listener into a mournal ritual of remembrance. The poet is the speaker on the tape; he is recorded in several different modes which suggest different levels of consciousness. Transformations of horn, trombone, and flute samples create the wash of wind and water.
This work was commissioned by Nina Assimakopoulos for the “Laurels” project, and is gratefully dedicated to her.