Coming to Peace (Solo 5-oct Marimba)

Coming to Peace was composed as a means to express the pain and heartbreak of losing a loved one. The work’s five sections represent the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It was written for the composer’s mother, on the 10th anniversary of her passing.

Genre: Solo Marimba | # of Players: 1
Level: Medium | Duration: 9:00

Instrumentation
Marimba (5-octave)

Program Notes
Coming to Peace was commissioned and premiered by Robert Clayson and is dedicated to my mother, Jeannine, for the 10th anniversary of her passing.

The work loosely follows the five stages of grief and loss: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. While composing this work I thought back to that difficult time in my life and attempted to represent my feelings and experiences in musical form.

The beginning of the piece is sparse and sensitive, but increases in volume and intensity until a rhythmic “chorale” begins, representing anger and deep mourning. The next section is more flowing and melodic, though the tonality never settles in one area. The melodies are meant to be pleasant and childlike, helping recall fond memories from the past, as well as those that will never be experienced. The work ends with a return to the opening material, representing depression, and finally, reluctant acceptance.