Program Notes
for the Master of Music Composition recital of
Andy McFarlane (b. 1992)
Listen to the Recital Recording here
Recorded April 11, 2021 in Patricia Corbett Theater
at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati
In our delirium (2019) for string trio
Benjamin Abel, violin | Muning Wang, viola | Joshua Bermudez, cello
Few instances in my memory are as vivid as the time I had a severe fever, nearly breaching 105 degrees. Nine years old, I remember being confused and half-asleep, wondering whether my thoughts were highly imaginative night terrors or only delirious panic attacks.
In my delirium,
I remember feeling it essential to count the colored specks sparkling from the pure white ceiling.
I reached one thousand before losing my place.
I remember helping my dinosaur friends reach the heavens by repeatedly building LEGO staircases.
They crumbled underneath the weight.
I remember watching from a distance as nuclear blasts rained down on my favorite cartoon characters.
They failed to flee the destruction of the earth.
In three parts, "In our delirium" describes the experience—
“Drifting off,” “Dream,” and “Delirious”
—and reflects on its apparent parallels to our human condition.
-Andy, February 2020
Divertimento Cappuccino (2019) for flute and piano
Anne Delfín, flute | Michael Delfín, piano
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7:58am:
Rushing and waiting… in line for your pre-meeting brew, you say, “No lid!” and, toward the creamer counter, sharply about-face to meet the arm of a surprised stranger who watches in horror as your steaming $1.99 explodes onto your white sh…
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The Arborist (2019) for solo cello
Audrey Hudgens
Curious, the relationship an old tree might have with an arborist in a park.
Imagine the tree-expert sizing up the beast—diagnosing a disease, checking for insects or blights, pruning back undesirable branches, or establishing grounds for removal due to rot or obstruction.
Think of the tree’s perspective. Slowly establishing roots and shooting branches upward, producing leaves and fruit every year while withstanding storms and winters, the tree notices a human come closer than usual—more interested than the occasional human-lings that hang on its branches.
Not knowing this human’s intentions, the old plant observes, full of curiosity and helpless.
-Andy, Fall 2019
Turn off the Heat! (2020) for fixed media, stereo
For full experience, use STEREO headphones or speakers.
In our fall and winter 2020 “stay-at-home” situation with my wife and our dog, the phrase “Turn off the heat, so I can record!” with the obligatory “please” and “thank you,” became a staple phrase in our apartment. The heater—along with the incessant cabinet, fridge, dish, and shower noises, the MIDI realizations of unperformed works, and clickity-clacks from both of our keyboards—changed our usual away-from-home environment as musicians and teachers.
In “Turn off the Heat!” I manipulated some computer-performed pieces, an old recording, and a close recording of the heater clicking on and off to capture some of the frustrations and joys experienced by each of us while at home constantly with the ones we love—incessantly.
-Andy, Fall 2020
Meditation for solo trumpet (2020)
Leif Atchley
Inspired by American composer Vincent Persichetti (1915–1987) and his 25 Parables, this Meditation is the second in a series of works for solo performers.
The palette of notes featured in "Meditation for solo trumpet" is derived from a self-inflicted constraint: increasing or decreasing consecutive interval sizes by a half-step (minor 2nd, major 2nd, minor 3rd, etc.).
As I wrote, I focused on this constraint and allowed it to guide the music, navigating through its implications.
Meditating on a proverb is similar. If you trust the proverb, you rely on it to guide your mind through multiple scenarios from a variety of different perspectives. If you are wary of it, moments from your personal experiences can overwhelm it,
for your own good or ill.
-Andy, Spring 2021
Vignettes for solo piano (2021)
Scott Sherman
Having written “C | Twenty-Six,” I approached Scott with a proposal to collaborate on four short piano pieces that focused on a few elements each. After rehearsing three of the four in this set, Scott approached me with the idea of programming the piece with his own poetry written in response to the music.
The names of the vignettes, in italics, catalog each by key center and a number associated with the piece, followed by the elements I focused on as I wrote.
Arène des scènes de printemps
An arena of spring scenes
—————
I. March, C | Twenty-Six [palendrome, intervallic serialism]
A door rasping; a creaking elm,
A rapping against my door
Over here on this wicked night?
II. April, D | ^2 [harmonic series, resonance]
Sage perfuming shallow air,
An evergreen waits with patience,
up on an older shallow mossed brick path.
Spirits chatter along,
praising together the arrival of springtime.
III. May, F# | 1 to 92 (Stagnation and Youth) [physical counterpoint, constant pitch]
A mysterious planet, orbiting a star above it,
dreaming;
With pink and white pearls,
which speak about of all sorts of things.
IV. June, G# | 767 [perpetual motion, pedal]
Undulating prophetic chasms;
Bursting flames of prophetic dreams.
Usurping archaic positions of power,
upon thrones of stone and casted brass.
___
S.L.S. 4.16.21
Strasburg No. 90 (2021) for sax and brass quintet
Rico Allen, alto sax | Trek Boyland, tenor sax | Leif Atchley, flugelhorn | Catherine Dowd, horn | Sean Eberlin, euphonium
Strasburg Rail Road, No. 90 is an American-made steam locomotive still active in Pennsylvania as a tourist attraction. The youngest and largest of Strasburg’s locomotives, No. 90 was built in 1924 for the Great Western Railroad in Colorado and started its service at Strasburg in 1967. It has seen many parts of modern American history, from wars to racial conflict to economic depression and prosperity. The subject of railroads and locomotives, even with its own complicated historical context, serves as a neutral subject for reflection on history and current issues in the United States.
More Information on Strasburg Rail Road No. 90
Strasburg No. 90 is written for the beauty of cross-cultural unity in diversity. As I wrote, I pondered the events of 2020 and 2021, yearning for mercy, humility, peace, and justice.
I. Anthem - A Hymn for Unity
II. Strasburg - A tribute to the mechanics of the American steam locomotive, and the stunning landscapes it transverses
III. The Great Western - A reflection on the complexities of American social life
-Andy, Spring 2021
Thank you for your support and engagement!