1.
Before the Dawn (34
sec. sample)
This song of peaceful awakening was the first
melody that I was inspired to write when I returned home from
a beautiful day spent in Zion National Park. In the early hours
just before the dawn, all is still and dark within the canyon.
What possibilities lie ahead with the coming of the new day?
2. Court of
the Patriarchs (34
sec. sample)
Morning has broken, and the sun shimmers upon
the huge, stone faces of a circle of mountain peaks known as the
Court of the Patriarchs. I imagined them as great immobile sentinels,
gazing silently downward as the eons pass by. Like the strata
in the rock, I built up the melodies one on top of another. When
the flute enters, it is like the bird I saw, tracing his light
and silvery path across the sky.
3.
The Narrows (35
sec.
sample)
The Narrows is a long passage of water between
two impossibly high sheer rock faces. Stories are told of those
who attempted to hike through the Narrows, but never returned
when the waters suddenly rose up and they could not escape. The
music begins in the strings with an impression of the shallow,
undulating water. The piano and violin then begin an imaginary
voyage that reveals one exquisite vista after another with each
turn of the river.
4.
Emerald Pools
(35
sec. sample)
A sculpture made by human hands could not be a
more perfect art form than this gigantic waterfall carved through
the rock by the forces of wind, water, and time. It inspired me
to write a melody for the oboe, an instrument that speaks to me
of the singular peace, tranquility and depth of this holy place.
5.
Three Deer (34
sec. sample)
Strolling down the hillside path that leads from
the Emerald Pools, one can frequently see deer grazing in the
meadow below. The pastoral quality of the scene is a balm to the
soul. Restful, yet alert, are three reclining deer, reflected
in the music by the flute, violin, and cello.
6.
Angel’s Landing
(36
sec .sample)
Angel’s Landing is a hiking trail so high
and steep that handholds are required to keep one from falling
off. This music, inspired by that lofty precipice, is a swift
ride through the clouds. The flute, solo violin, viola and harp
are the angels who fly together fearlessly and freely though the
bright sky.
7.
Weeping Rock (44
sec. sample)
The Weeping Rock is a cave set high above the
canyon, where lacy water droplets mysteriously seep through the
sandstone from the cliffs above. Looking out of the mouth of the
cave through the scattered patterns of water, I imagined myself
in Morocco, watching the sunset through a latticed screen. Setting
the exotic mood are the solo guitar, cello, English horn, and
world percussion.
8.
The Stone Sanctuary
(34
sec. sample)
Night has fallen. In the moonlight, one can imagine
the crumbling stones of the canyon resembling an ancient temple.
A tale from the Far East, the Butterfly Lovers, inspired this
track. The violin and piano play the part of the lovers who can
be together only as butterflies in the afterlife.
9.
The River Virgin
(47 sec. sample)
As if from the beginning of time, the introduction
in the strings begins softly with a solitary note. The solo violin,
accompanied by the harp, then plays a simple folk-like melody
that builds to a crescendo until the entire orchestra joins in
the chorus. Over millions of years, the tiny Virgin River gradually
carved away the canyon we marvel at today. This last track is
dedicated not only to nature’s majestic creation of Zion,
but also to the glorious spirit within us, which guides, directs,
and re-creates our lives.
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