Emma O'Halloran: Constellations • Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra

Program notes by Emma O'Halloran:
This piece was written in 2018 and at that time I was reflecting on my place and identity as a female composer in relation to a long tradition of music produced mostly by white male composers. When I was growing up I never encountered any women who wrote music and there were no female composers represented in the music syllabi at school. As a result, I spent a long time wondering if it would be possible for me to be a composer. I'm reminded of the quote "It's hard to be what you can't see." I wrote the lyrics for Constellations about this experience, and I also drew inspiration from a National Geographic article focusing on the discovery that handprints in ancient cave art most often belonged to women. This piece is about finding your voice and making the art that you want to make.
Lyrics:
Once I sprayed the ocean to the stars
Now a stranger here below
An empty tale, a morning flower
Only a part, but not the whole
Rewritten by the hour
Growing up is losing your illusions
All the pieces that were pulled apart
They don’t fit like they should anymore
Constellations form around my bones
And these fires
Have piled up chains of mountains
These fires burn.
Laurel Irene, soprano
Isabelle Durrenberger, violin
Juan-Salvador Carrasco, cello
Anthony Trionfo, flute
Benjamin Mitchell, clarinet
Kevin Ahfat, piano
Denis Petrunin, percussion
Demian Spindler, electronics
Recorded April 24, 2023, Hahn Hall at Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara
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