Evening

Evening was inspired by the performances of works by young South African composers by the Horizons Project Choir, in May 2015. The poem by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) was used as the work's text. It describes the passing of light and how it affects various elements in
nature:

The light passes
From ridge to ridge,
From flower to flower—
The hepaticas, wide-spread
Under the light
Grow faint—
The petals reach inward,
The blue tips bend
Toward the bluer heart
And the flowers are lost.
The cornel-buds are still white,
But shadows dart
From the cornel-roots—
Black creeps from root to root,
Each leaf
Cuts another leaf on the grass,
Shadow seeks shadow,
Then both leaf
and leaf-shadow are lost.

Evening attempts to illustrate how these various elements are affected by the passing of light. The use of various extended techniques suggests light's mysterious and poignant qualities. The movement of light is also suggested by the work's form, making use of multitemporal sections. This, in conjunction with the colours evoked within the choral harmony, suggests a kaleidoscopic representation of light's movement and energy.