Winterscapes
by John Hoffacker
"Winterscapes" was performed on December 2 & 3, 2000

Encountering the world around us—seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? And yet, listening to music by R. Murray Shafer hints at a deeper reality. More than a composer, Shafer is a teacher, a journalist, an environmentalist, and (you’ll know this if you’ve ever seen his fantastic musical scores) a visual artist.

Early in his career, Shafer coined the term soundscape to refer to the musical environment in which we live. We are living in a world that’s constantly changing, and the music of the world continues—too fast for us to appreciate—unless we pay attention to the music Shafer encapsulates for us. His “Snowforms” doesn’t use notes. The singers are reading pictures of snow and using Inuit words for various kinds of snow. It’s a very quiet piece—like the stillness of snowfall.

The inner landscape of the mind fascinates Robert Sund. This Swedish composer and conductor was born in 1943, and his “Come out all trolls” is the fourth in a set of choral settings of poetry by Helga Henschen. Cantemus performs this in English translation. You know the bleakness and fear occasioned by dark skies day after day—this is the sensation depicted in “Come out all trolls.” Athrilling work, it captivates anyone who’s ever been afraid of the monster under the bed.

The third in our series of three modern pieces about Winter is by René Clausen. Conductor since 1985 of the Concordia College (Minnesota) choirs, Clausen writes serene, playful, lovely music to wonderful texts. “All this night” uses two poems, the first by William Austin (1587–1634) and the second by Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–1894). The Austin poem depicts the shattering of night by Chanticleer’s cry, bringing joy to the world. Holmes’ poem captures the thought of light covering the world, granting freedom and peace.

Winter brings a glittering world of white: a time to feel, to experience, to reflect, and (above all) to delight in. We hope this music brings delight to your world.