I’m very honored that my piece North Star (2018) has been chosen as one of the pieces to be played by the Tacet(i) Ensemble in Thailand. Congratulations as well to all of the other chosen composers and everyone that got an honorable mention. 524 works were submitted for this call for works in total. Tacet(i) will be playing two concerts with this music. More information can be found at their facebook page.
North Star was first premiered by Trine Knutsen and features the voice of John Howland. Thanks a lot to both of you. The piece is based on a poem by the African-American James Monroe Whitfield (1822-1871) which is sadly still relevant today.
Star of the north! whose steadfast ray
Pierces the sable pall of night,
Forever pointing out the way
That leads to freedom’s hallowed light:
The fugitive lifts up his eye
To where thy rays illume the sky.
That steady, calm, unchanging light,
Through dreary wilds and trackless dells,
Directs his weary steps aright
To the bright land where freedom dwells;
And spreads, with sympathizing breast,
Her ægis over the oppressed.
Though other stars may round thee burn,
With larger disk and brighter ray,
And fiery comets round thee turn,
While millions mark their blazing way;
And the pale moon and planets bright
Reflect on us their silvery light.
Not like that moon, now dark, now bright,
In phase and place forever changing;
Or planets with reflected light,
Or comets through the heavens ranging;
They all seem varying to our view,
While thou art ever fixed and true.
So may that other bright North Star,
Beaming with truth and freedom’s light,
Pierce with its cheering ray afar,
The shades of slavery’s gloomy night;
And may it never cease to be
The guard of truth and liberty.
Looking forward to hearing the piece played by Tacet(i). In the near future a video of the premier of North Star should be made publically available.