I am honoured to have received a Music Creation Grant from the Ontario Arts Council for the composition of Djed, a forthcoming work for solo marimba and percussion trio. The work is being written for Gerald Noble (Dayton Philharmonic/Wright State University).
Djed is the ancient Egyptian symbol of a pillar meaning ‘stability.’ This is represented in the piece with structural pedal tones in the solo part being resonated by instruments in the percussion trio.
The djed is also a prominently featured sculptural symbol in Matthew Barney’s Ancient Evenings performances and film, River of Fundament. My experiences performing in these projects serve as an inspiration as I continue writing the music. I look forward to sharing the completed score for Djed in the near future!