February (2014-2017)

Performers:

Violin I • Danielle Peterson 

Violin II • Katie Barrick

Viola • Scotty Scott

Cello • Caroline Harrist

Piano • Hannah Horne

A piano quintet deeply influenced by Shane Jones' novel Light Boxes, a tale revolving around a town of balloonists which becomes cursed with a perpetual, flightless February.  Dark, fascinating, and full of superbly creepy Edward Gorey-esque images, I chose this combination of instruments because I felt they could best represent the sights and sounds explored in Jones' book; from the highly expressive and romantic to the distant, otherworldly, and bewildering.  This piece is a work in progress- in total there will be four movements.

i. reverie

ii. things forgotten in the snowfall

iii. in defense of february

iv. & the sun beats down, & the sun beats down

i:  reverie A mother and her child lie together in bed and watch the first snowfall of February.  They reminisce on flying neon colored balloons in the  spring, summer, and fall.

“We sat on the hill.

We watched the flames

inside the balloons heat

the fabric to neon colors.

The children played

Prediction”

“How long will February last, Bianca asked, stretching her hands out to her mother, who was blowing on her arms.

 I really have no idea, said Thaddeus, who watched the snow fall outside the kitchen window.

In the distance the snow formed into mountains on top of mountains.”

ii. things forgotten in the snowfall  The town falls into an unending February.  All forms of flight are banned by an omnipotent author hidden in the sky, and children mysteriously vanish without a trace.  The townsfolk forget such a thing as spring ever existed.  Terrible things happen to those who wander too deep into the woods.

The Catalog of Missing Children

Evie Rhodes – taken from her bed on February the 127th

Candace Smith- disappeared while feeding birds on February the 175th

Adam Johnston- vanished while playing in a closet on February the 112th

Emily Boyce- drowned during a snowball fight on February the 222nd

Jessica Chambers- vanished while walking with her dogs on February the 312th

Suzy Peck-taken from her bed on February the 322nd

etc.