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‘Light echo’ is a term I came across on NASA’s website. This effect occurs when ‘dusty cloud structures’ are illuminated by the brightening of a star. In this case, it was a red supergiant known as V838 Monocerotis. As NASA describes the event, “The echoing of light through space is similar to the echoing of sound through air. As light from the explosion continues to move outwards, different parts of the dust are illuminated, just as a sound echo bounces off of objects near the source, and later, objects further from the source.”
The Echoing Light is an expanded version of the original Brass Ensemble piece Echoes of Light and plays on the concept of echoes. The form of the piece springs from the expanding light/sound concept mentioned above. You will notice the first 16 measures (i.e. the initial explosion of light and dust) expand in time signature from 2/4 to 5/4 and then return to the initial 2/4 meter. The opening statement (measures 1 – 30) is repeated and expanded upon to reveal different parts of what was previously revealed finishing with the final echo of the initial musical motive. Purposefully written for a highly reverberant space, all sounds resulting from these echoes should be welcomed. The result of this endeavor is a wonderfully colored piece that will make a great prelude to any concert.