Blue Oblivion

Composer's Note:

Blue Oblivion was written in the spring and summer of 2019. The title comes from the poem, Mid-Ocean by the American writer, William Rose Benét (1886-1950.) The work describes a trip across the ocean by ship. The last stanza reads:

Never was I so at peace, never so afraid.
Like the timeless time it was before the world was made.
Blue oblivion, largely lit, smiled and smiled at me, —
Atom in the void, on the Western Sea!

The poem took on deep meaning for me. My family was dealing with significant challenges but there was a moment of calmness despite lingering trepidation of what the future may hold. The piece fluctuates between moments of frantic turmoil to a sense of peacefulness, concluding with a slow, serene and unending march into the unknown.