Blue Soul for Solo Cello (2005)

Commissioned by: Andrea Lysack

Blue Soul was commissioned by Andrea Lysack, a cellist from Windsor, Ontario. The opening section I felt could work as a stand alone short work for viola. The plaintive character of this opening section owes its inspiration to slave spirituals of the south. With each repetition of the chant the texture thickens as new voices are added and the expression becomes more urgent and intense. This culminates in the final repeition which pushes the limits of range, techinique and expression.