However, my impressions of the Grand Canyon were not at all what I thought they might be. Yes, I witnessed the vastness, the grandeur, the colors, and the stillness. But we can’t force our experience; our experience comes to us:
As I mentioned, I was there with family: my wife and myself, my parents, my in-laws, and 7 children (including four of my own and three of their friends/cousins). Given that many of the hikes were quite strenuous, there were many times when my wife and Iwere left alone with the responsibility of the seven children. Unfortunately, much of the hike was consumed with the fear of one of them slipping – with no chance for saving – and falling off the edge. This increased even more with the fact that it was all THEY could talk about. On top of that, my daughter showed me a book at THE GIFT STORE, called “Death at the Canyon”, which gave very grim and detailed accounts of every known fatality at the Grand Canyon over the last several decades. As a composer, my imagination is supposed to run wild, and this was no exception!
Silent Echoes, therefore, is in some way what might be expected: echoes, open “Americana” chords, and harmonies imbued with color. But it is also a prayerful tribute to those whose lives were lost in the blink of an eye, and how terrifying it must have been to have unanswerable calls for help echo through the walls around them. This is the other reason for the dedication: “for many”.
Listed below are the micro-commissioners who – at the time of this writing – committed to help fund the creation of this piece. I thank them for their trust in me to write something worth their time and expense. -the publisher