Verdigris Cathedrals

           Shimmering in the distance, the cathedral rises, not of stone, but of sound. Verdigris Cathedrals is an exploration of resonance, space, and time, where music unfolds like light filtering through stained glass, casting shifting hues and shadows. From its opening whispers, delicate triangles, bowed metal, and hushed strings, the piece gradually breathes into being, an organic structure built from cascading gestures and micro-polytonal harmonies. Layers of sound emerge and dissolve, as if the orchestra itself is an ancient edifice weathered by time, its surfaces eroded into new forms of beauty. Offstage percussion and electronic manipulations blur the boundary between the physical and the ephemeral, encircling the listener in an immersive sonic landscape. Moments of stillness are punctuated by surges of energy, distant tolling, shimmering overtones, and the weight of deep resonant sonorities. As the cathedral of sound reaches its zenith, it does not collapse, but rather dissolves into the air, leaving only echoes of its architecture behind.

           Commissioned by the Kearney Symphony Orchestra, Verdigris Cathedrals invites the listener into a space both vast and intimate, where music is not merely heard, but felt as an evolving presence. The work is dedicated to Dr. Alison Gaines, whose guidance and artistry have been a lasting and meaningful influence. The recording available here is from a reading session done by the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra - directed by Alan Kay.