For flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, and 2 percussion
This is a revised and arranged version of a piece originally composed for wind ensemble. Cloud/Mass creates an immersive environment for the audience and performers to inhabit. While the piece is not programmatic, I was inspired by the weight and presence of a singular mountain, by the clouds shifting in form as they move around the peaks and ridges, and by the messy symmetry of nature. I was also influenced by the work of Norwegian painter Anna-Eva Bergman, whose paintings capture the weight and scale of mountains, fjords, and icebergs in sparse, simplified shapes that threaten to overwhelm the canvas. The piece exists as a series of colours and textures shifting over time, without linear direction or dramatic shape, creating an immersive environment that envelops the audience and performers.
This version was arranged for and premiered by members of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and participants in the Ensemble Evolution program 2017 at the Banff Centre, conducted by Steve Schick.
