Purity emerged from the idea that a single note can hold as much beauty as an orchestra. I wanted to capture the expectancy of the present moment, waiting for events to slowly unfold while the outcome is yet unwritten. I appreciate the honesty of octaves and fifths in communicating beauty. Sometimes all that is needed is simplicity.
I had recently discovered the overtone series when I wrote this work, and was marvelling at the complexity God built into a single note. This work extrapolates the overtone series on 'A'. Long, drawn-out strands gather in speed. Pinpricks of light glint over dark, sonorous fronds. Ricochets dance, echoing one another, sending sparks spiralling into the air.
Composer: Kirsten Strom
Kirsten Strom is a young New Zealand composer, conductor and creative writer. Her award-winning music has been performed internationally and aired on national radio. She draws from mixed media, social concerns, the bible, and the complex beauty of nature. Career highlights include being mentored by Kaija Saariaho at Etchings Festival, attending Asian Composers League Festival with her choral work ‘Ktisis’, and holding the young composer residency with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. In 2019 she released her first album Wavering Lines (SDL Music) and relocated to London for a Master of Music with the Royal Academy of Music. Her creed, like Bach before her, is 'Soli Deo Gloria'.