Tree of Life

Commissioned by the BMI Foundation, Inc.
to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Colorado Quartet
and the 30th anniversary of Symphony Space.
for string quartet and stereo digital sound
2008
17 minutes

Purchase the music ($30)
includes score and parts (PDF) and rehearsal/performance materials
View perusal score

available on River Rising
kirstenvolness.bandcamp.com



I. White Birch
interlude
II. Weeping Willow
interlude
III. Coast Redwood

PROGRAM NOTE
The Tree of Life appears in numerous cultures throughout history and represents the interconnectedness of everything on Earth and in the spirit world, above and below. In the Japanese Shinto tradition, natural features such as waterfalls, mountains, and so on, are believed to house kami, or spirits, who bring blessings or mischief to the human realm. Tree of Life integrates these ideas by exploring the spirit presences of my favorite types of trees and what they might bring to share in the larger fabric of life, death, the world we can see, and the worlds we may not yet have experienced.
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This piece originally existed with/without the electronic component,
hence there also exists a Tree of Life Suite for string quartet alone.
Colorado Quartet premiered that version at Symphony Space, May 9, 2008.

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