Description
ze·nith
n.
The point on the celestial sphere vertically above a given position or observer.
Looking straight up, to me, means looking into the night sky; looking at the stars, the planets. There’s mystery, intrigue, a sense of being small, a sense that the universe is massive beyond what we are able to comprehend.
All these ideas are represented in the music – the bass instruments at the opening rise, the loud climax is representative of how big the universe is, and the smaller solos represent a combination of the amazement of looking to the stars and to how small a part we play in the universe – how alone the human race really is.
At night, to look to the zenith is to look to the stars.
Zenith was commissioned by Will Martin, Marcy Racicot and the Prairie Spirit West Senior Band, SK, Canada, and adapted in 2020 for 4-voice adaptable ensemble for the Creative Repertoire Initiative in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its effect on music education.
