Windy Chant (2022)

Premiered by Ensemble 20+ and Michael Lewanski, conductor, at the Faculty Artist Concert Series, DePaul University Gannon Hall, May 1, 2022.
Windy Chant is the new work written for DePaul University Ensemble 20+ with their conductor, Maestro Michael Lewanski.
During the summer months, various wind chimes convey sonorities and tranquility to my porch near the Windy City of Chicago. These sounds always invite reflective listening and awaken memories of the winds of Belgrade, my hometown. Most wind chimes are made of metal and are thought to bring good luck with each resonating ring. The element of metal represents clarity, efficiency, and joy. Originally invented for sound healing, wind chimes symbolize wisdom, kindness, and growth. However, this piece strays from this typical symbolism and instead focuses abstractly on the colorful painting of sounds, much like the windy chants from Navajo tradition which inspired this piece.
Musically, this piece was composed with a close relationship between “notes” of Tonic and Dominant (A and E) and their harmonic series. The particle of melody is rising and disappearing “in circles” through the layers of colorful textures and rhythmical patterns always consisting of very few notes.
“Remember what you have seen because everything forgotten returns to
the circling winds.”
Navajo Wind Chant