Isolation

“Isolation” was commissioned by the Northern Illinois University Concert Choir, with director Eric Johnson, and developed over the course of a virtual residency with the choir.  I wrote the text of this work in the spring of 2020, during a time of prolonged sheltering at home amidst the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.  It was originally intended to be performed in a live remote performance, with the musicians connected via the internet with the use of audio and video software. As we workshopped early drafts, it became clear that an in-person performance with masks and social distancing would be possible; I revised the work accordingly. Though it ultimately became unnecessary, the artistic incorporation of the latency inherent in online platforms is heard in the major use of aleatoric technique, where singers repeat specific phrases purposely out of synch with the others on their voice parts. The resulting work is a hybrid of live remote and in-person choral techniques and textures.  “Isolation” travels an emotional arc from fear and anger towards peace, joy, and love.