The Essence of Gravity - III. Infinite Oceans by Robert Paterson Composer published on 2013-06-12T21:06:19Z The Essence of Gravity - for Mixed SATB Choir Duration: 18’ Commissioned by Robert Geary and the Volti choir of San Francisco Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=902 For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/the-essence-of-gravity PROGRAM NOTE In The Essence of Gravity, I use a few key words, phrases and phonetic sounds rather than an elaborate text. Since there are so few words, I designed the text myself, and it is made up almost entirely of onomatopoeia words. The word ‘gravity’ in the title not only refers to the force of attraction by which objects tend to fall toward the center of the Earth, but also to a sense of seriousness. Each movement reflects one or both of these definitions. The first movement, Echoes of War, contains words and phrases that make me think of war. A type of weapon called a “gravity bomb” also inspired me. This weapon is delivered by aircraft and does not contain a guidance system; it follows a ballistic trajectory. Until the later half of World War II this described all aircraft bombs, and the vast majority until the late 1980s. The second movement is entitled Love and Kisses. Although love is an undeniably heavy subject, this movement is intended to be much more playful than serious. Perhaps it is more about the emotional pull that people have on each other. Before I composed the third movement, Infinite Oceans, I walked along San Francisco’s Baker Beach and Lands End. Although I’ve been to the ocean many times, I am always struck by the seemingly infinite-sounding tides and lonely-sounding foghorns I often hear in the distance. This movement is inspired by the gravitational pull of the moon, the primary force responsible for the ocean’s tides. This movement also alludes to the stories of the mythological Greek Sirens that lured sailors to their deaths with their beautiful singing. Although many people might not think of machines as evoking a sense of gravity, they seem important in ways that may not be readily apparent. Without machines such as the Space Shuttle, we would not be able to explore outer space. For better or worse, they are integral to our modern way of life. In this sense, the fourth movement, Machines, pays homage to the machines that enrich our lives by allowing us to defy gravity. Genre Classical Comment by bethlevin1 I'm carried away! 2023-08-18T22:07:17Z Comment by Gom Jabbar Beautifully undulating and woven voices, the female harmonies at once dramatically surprising and strangely soothing. The slides reserved for the end created a powerful falling effect. 2022-11-02T16:25:40Z Comment by Dika Chartoff This is absolutely gorgeous. I love the sound image of the waves overlapping and how you used small patterns and their alterations. The balance with women and men is beautiful and they are clearly two opposing entities in great harmony. A beautiful recording too! 2021-04-18T03:50:40Z Comment by Istvan J. Balazs Beautiful sacred music. I heard at the beginning "Hosannah". The contrast between the man and woman choirs are beautifully underlaying into a beautiful dialogue, which reminds of tunes of Psalms which were sang when Jesus was entering Jerusalem. Congratulations for the beautifully voiced SATB composition. I am really amazed! 2021-04-17T20:04:13Z Comment by dread lil spark Its a good jam a I love this 2021-04-17T15:39:58Z Comment by Sabine Alexander What a beautiful combination of voices!! Another awesome piece, Robert. Great job!! 2021-04-17T10:03:11Z Comment by Gustave Deresse Fantastic choir work! Beautifully composed 2021-04-16T20:37:58Z Comment by Tony Doubek This has a really otherworldly quality to it. Beautiful use of voices! 2021-04-16T19:06:52Z Comment by Artem Amirkhanyan What a wonderful choir! I like it 2021-04-16T18:01:00Z Comment by TGSS/Langsämmer /Jünger/ Laxá/The Dark Messiahs On my device the song name was truncated to "The Essence Of Grav..." and my brain made that "Gravy" which I though an odd topic for you to cover. Having got my initial confusion out of the way, the overlapping and repeating choral phrases make this really hypnotic and enjoyable. 2021-04-16T16:37:07Z Comment by Robert Paterson Composer @user-289339291-171890141: haha, thank you Peter! 2021-02-01T20:40:47Z Comment by James Mark Beautiful harmonies and incredible vocal performances - amazing work :-) 2021-02-01T14:07:25Z Comment by Louise Wight-Boycott Woah, this is different. Love the singing. 2021-02-01T06:35:26Z Comment by Adam Richard Tucker Composer It's really atmospheric - I love the wave effects later in the piece. Overall it puts me in mind of some of Bernstein's choral writing. 2021-01-06T22:09:27Z