The ascension was written for Charles Snead and the University of Alabama Horn Choir, with great respect and admiration for their wonderful musicianship and friendship. Composer in the spring of 1990, the work went through a complete revision in January 1997. The piece is a sort of personal manifesto on matters spiritual as well as physical. Gestures leap upwards, rhythmic patterns undulate underneath (and above) melodic fragments, activity rushes by at a rapid pace, only to be transformed unto a new level of motion – slower and more thoughtful. The whole work can be seen as a journey towards enlightenment.”
Performance Notes
The ascension opens with very fast, driving quavers (eight notes), interrupted by a dotted crotchet (dotted quarter note) and tied over quaver (eight note) motif. The first part is made up of these elements (continuous quavers and syncopated rhythm), until everything is sped up by the introduction of continuous triplets. At a speed of 160+, these are the most challenging parts of the piece.
The syncopation is taken a step further in the 2/2 section, with a new motivic rhythm being introduced in horn 5 and subsequently moving around all parts. Only towards the end a brief chorale section is introduced, however The ascension ends with the syncopated rhythm of the 2nd section.
This is a challenging piece, especially recommended to the technically versatile horn ensemble, with many notes in a relatively short time.