Runes and Ritual [12'45"]

Runes and Ritual, commissioned by the James Piano Quartet, draws on the rich myth, magic and folklore embedded in the traditions of rural Virginia, where the James Piano Quartet had been in residence for several years.  Runes and Ritual’s vivid narrative borrows from indigenous musical gestures – spirituals, hollers, hymn tunes, lullabies and yelps – to transform and fuse them into a dramatic tapestry, engaging audiences – whether novices or chamber music aficionados – by evoking music’s own inexplicable magic.