Refractions for solo trumpet and piano



Piece commissioned by Robert Waugh.

Program Notes

J.R.R. Tolkien once used the phrase “splintered fragments of reflected light” to describe how light (or truth) is refracted in every myth or story created. I began to wonder how these fragments of light refract off people and the stories they live out and share. Throughout this piece I wanted to have many different “splintered fragments” of refracted rays. These rays shine most brightly in the third movement, though there are dimmer appearances earlier in the piece.

Many motives and gestures tie the three movements together. These motives often have different appearances, as if viewing them from a different angle. The harmonic language also binds each of the movements, though the third movement contains the brightest harmonies of the three.