J. Aaron Stanley, Composer
Shafts of Sunlight Through Stained-Glass Windows, Op. 15 for Antiphonal Brass & Percussion
Shafts of Sunlight Through Stained-Glass Windows, Op. 15 for Antiphonal Brass & Percussion
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Shafts of Sunlight Through Stained-Glass Windows, Op. 15 for Antiphonal Brass & Percussion
- Instrumentation: 2 Tpts., 2 Hns., 2 Tbns., 3 Perc.
- Opus 15, 2019
- Duration: c. 4m
Shafts of Sunlight was born of the idea of mimicking through music the way light is scattered into its component frequencies when passing through a window or prism. The opening “scattered” chords is the scattering of sunlight, and throughout the piece, we hear different colors and different interpretations of this idea represented through music.
Structurally, the piece works through the diatonic circle of fifths (while visiting a couple of other keys for tonal variety) before returning to a “lifted” (now in Lydian mode) and “timeless” (unaccompanied by percussion) reprise of the opening scattered chords.
It's seven sections (the eighth section being a varied reprise of the first), are like taking a tour through a cathedral in the shape of a cross, experiencing the unique way sunlight passes through the stained glass windows of each wall as the day progresses.
