Florece en amabilidad

“Flower Into Kindness” originated as a movement of an extended choral/orchestral work entitled “Into The Light,” which explores the concept of fear as a driving force behind many of the issues we face as global culture. In "Flower Into Kindness," the melodic motive begins with a single voice and gradually blooms into an eight-part canon. I’m grateful to Rickey Badua and Mitch Fennell at Cal Poly Pomona University for their vision in supporting this new version for winds — moving forward in the hope of music-making after the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This work may be performed in the round: the woodwinds may be scattered throughout the space, with each respective canonic group in the same location. The concept is that the canonic line will travel across the space as each voice enters. The brass and percussion should remain centered in the space.

I shed my words on the earth
as the tree sheds its leaves.
Let my thoughts unspoken
flower into kindness.
(Rabindranath Tagore, adapt. Runestad)