Dream of What the World Could

commissioned by Resonance Women's Chorus of Boulder

2016

When I agreed to write a piece for Resonance's post-election concert, I knew I wanted to write something that included samples of news reports. I've written a few electronic works before that use samples from news reports. I think it helps me process what happens in the world and process how to make sense of it amid the chaos of media. For this piece, I decided to use clips about immigration and juxtapose them with the beauty of the human voice. The sung text isn't meant to tell any specific narrative but instead reflect on the emotions that may surround leaving home, your own home changing from new souls, and living in a world with so much uprooted. 

Towards the end the chorus sings a unified phrase: "As seekers we map the world, dream of what the could be. To never let go, what the world could." This section ends in an incomplete phrase, perhaps illustrating a reluctance to dream but also leaving the idea open to all dreams for the world.