Elegy to the Beloved
by Antonio J. Higgins (b. 2005)
Timothy Barnes, xiao
Paul Scanlon, piano
Recorded live at the Cedarville University Spring 2023 Composition Recital.
Notes on the piece:
This piece was the result of two providential happenings. When Tim Barnes approached me to write a composition for his xiao, I told him, “Alright, I’ll write an elegy for you.” Little did I know I would write an elegy in earnest, as the grandparents of two friends of mine died suddenly. Moved by this, the composition was able to come more naturally.
I. Rugged and folk-like
This movement depicts the rugged and Appalachian culture that these people grew up in. The first few measures in the piano are a traveler walking through the mountains and hills of the Southwest Virginia region. The flute comes in, almost as if it’s narrating a story. The flute sounds a melody of sadness and hardship. The slow tempo describes both the mourning and remembrance of loved ones. It also depicts the slow nature of life found in the mountains. The slightly hollow-sounding piano references the music of older Appalachian traditions, which employed a hollow sound.
II. In the Jordan
This movement is written in a minimalist style, the title referencing the hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” In particular, the line “When I tread the verge of Jordan.” I use a darker and softer sound in this movement, to give the impression of being underwater. The hymn speaks of swimming through this river, and praying that God would make the path to Canaan. This hymn calls back to the biblical story of Joshua 3. This movement is basically the traveler in this same river, and yet the music stops unresolved, and we are left unsure of the traveler’s destination. Moments of silence are scattered in the movement to show this.
III. Mourning
I first wrote this as the second movement, but it fit as the finale much better after the first draft was complete. It speaks of the mourning that the friends of the traveler make. The flute once again takes up a haunting melody as the friends lament over the traveler.
2023 © Antonio J. Higgins, All Rights Reserved.