A shining light in darkness deep

A shining light in darkness deep (2020) is originally a quartet for piano, glockenspiel (+bass drum), vibraphone, and marimba. In 2023, I created an alternative mallet quartet version for two marimbas and two vibraphones.

The work is made up of the following sections:

slowly, like the push and pull of the tides shimmering, like light reflecting through shallow water
smooth, like small ripples of waves over a bottomless sea
deep, like the vastness of the ocean floor
singing, like a wisp of wind over the surface of the sea
soothing, like the consistency of crashing waves

This work finds inspiration in the words of Tom Marshall:

A song I heard the ocean sing
A shining light in darkness deep
I prayed a prayer into the tide
And both they soothed me in my sleep

It was composed for the UCF New Music Ensemble but never premiered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was later premiered with the mallet quartet instrumentation at the 2023 Victoria Bach Festival in Victoria, TX.

Duration is approximately 4:00.