JOHN LUTHER ADAMS
A Brief Descent Into Deep Time
The piece is a procession through the performance space and, metaphorically, through 1.7 billion years descent through the geologic layers of the Grand Canyon.
John Luther Adams writes: ‘’I’ve been busy following the rocks deeper into the canyon. Yesterday I passed the one billion year mark. The colors of the rocks and the beauty of their names have carried me away, perhaps too far. I’m a little concerned that this thing may be too beautiful. But, as always, it’s a journey of fascination, even obsession. I’m no longer in command, and all I can do is follow wherever it may lead. … For now, the descent continues.’’ The text is derived from the names of the geologic eons, eras, and periods, and their times before the present (in billions and millions of years), as well as major events in the history of the earth — including the previous period of rapid global warming, and the five previous mass extinctions. At this time scale (2.5 million years per second!), human history won’t even register, but we may hear the word ‘’humanity'' as a grace note to the final high C, struck on a crotale.
Theatre of Voices:
- Else Torp
- Signe Asmussen
- Paul Bentley-Angell
- Jakob Bloch Jespersen
- Christopher Bowers-Broadbent, organ
- TBA, percussion
- Ian Deaden, sounddesign
Paul Hillier, artistic director