My fascination with clouds stems from experiences among them, in a cloud forest in Costa Rica and on a mountain road in northern California. At these high elevations, there is little resemblance to sea-level fog—the clouds have shape and movement just like when they are far out of reach. My tendency to view clouds through a poetic lens is countered by the perspective of my friend, a climate scientist who once looked out the window in an airplane and said “there’s my work.” The Latin scientific names of clouds and the excerpts from cloud definitions represent this objective, scientific approach to understanding clouds and our environment. This objective viewpoint co-exists with the magical, imaginative viewpoint of a child looking up at the sky, finding shapes in the clouds.
Like clouds, the harmony in Clouds Ephemeral shifts in and out of clear forms, simultaneously in constant motion yet almost still. The rhythm also embodies this nebulous quality, constantly changing meter throughout most of the piece. The scientific names of clouds are heard throughout, while the cloud definitions layer underneath, chant-like in the men. The poem layers over the cloud names, in a slow, graceful melody sung by the women.
Clouds Ephemeral was commissioned by The Esoterics, with founding director Eric Banks. It is a result of winning their 2014-2015 POLYPHONOS Composition Competition in the National Composer category. Many thanks to Eric and the Esoterics for bringing this work to life.
