Program Notes

Like a vision in a two-way mirror, Half Silver reflects and looks beyond, exploring hope in the face of violence, contrasting darkness and light.

Beginning with glassy string harmonics, Half Silver follows the emotive voice of the solo flute into darkness. Sharp, strident chords punctuate the sorrowful, unsettled texture that follows, accompanied by interjections by a lone trumpet. Finally, the solo flute returns, guiding the orchestra to a fragile, yet hopeful conclusion.

Half Silver is dedicated to the victims of gun violence everywhere, composed in response to the August 2019 mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. From then until Half Silver’s February 2024 revision, there have been more than 2843 mass shootings in the United States.

8 minutes | 2.2.2.2 / 4.2.3.1 / Timp. 2 Perc. / Strings | 2019, revised 2024