for Chorus - 12'
Commissioned by Santa Fe Desert Chorale in honor of New Mexico's centennial.
Premiered July 28, 2012
Visions of a Child is inspired by and dedicated to the Pueblo Indian people of New Mexico. The work is based upon Pueblo melodies and rhythms and depicts the imaginings of a child being lulled to sleep.
It begins with a traditional lullaby followed by visions of a playful buffalo, a sunflower field, rays of sunlight, the flight of an eagle, a sunrise and then waking to the same lullaby. The style of the composition reflects the unique feel of traditional Pueblo music, where phrases have mixed meters and phrasing has distinct sections. In this vein, the child’s visions have a playful and whimsical nature, while remaining simple and clear. The text is made entirely of Pueblo vocables, common to their traditional music, and is used to achieve an impression of how a child may abstract speech at a very young age.
Visions of a Child