New Moon

New Moon is a series of reflections on separation, loss, rebirth, renewal and the universe’s ultimate indifference to our personal joys and tragedies. Despite New Moon’s atheist philosophy, it is a profoundly spiritual work, reflecting my most deeply held beliefs on matters of the self, the world and our place within it.

The work, for amplified chamber ensemble and electronics, features a collection of poems by the Chinese poets Ch’en Tzu-Ang, Li Pai, Wang Po, Ch’Ang Chien, Sun T’I, Su Shih, Chao Ku and Tu Lei. The poems, all from diverse regions and different eras, contain similar subject matter and are arranged in a somewhat narrative form. The large-scale structure of the composition results from the arrangement of the poems - four loosely defined sections, entitled Temple, Drone, Ritual and New Moon.

Although not a minimalist work, New Moon, on a strictly musical level, deals with static environments, minute variations and gradual changes. The work’s distinct tonal centers (drones) are derived from the musical motives in the introduction. Aesthetically, New Moon is a multi-cultural phenomenon – the end-result of a life spent studying western music by day, and meditating to Buddhist and Shamanist ritual music by night.