Envies is a musical narrative describing a man’s vision of Jehovah Sabaoth, the God of Israel, and his thought process afterwards. The work is divided up into four movements: the vision of Jehovah, the man’s initial response, his description of humanity’s faults, and an attempt of reconciling this great God with Jesus Christ who proclaimed the mercy and grace of God.
I. the Lord of Hosts
II. woe, for the fallen nature of man
III. wither and fade
“proud, angry, shaking fists”
“cr38-ion”
“dark, lonely, lazy souls”
IV. burden
I wrote this piece as a thought-provoking work and do not intend to speak absolute truth by it. I encourage the reader to ponder the depth of the man’s thoughts and his struggle through them rather than their accuracy to reality. The mind that continues without rest works all sorts of madness, and I don’t wish that on anyone, except for a time—and then, only to be bettered by it.
-Andy
Instrumentation - alto sax, tenor sax, horn, trumpet, vibraphone, 2 percussion, harp, piano, violin, viola, cello
Duration - 25’
Premiere: Cedarville University Recital Hall, Cedarville, Ohio 2015
conductor: Jonathan M. Lyons
performers: Julia Brummel, alto; Wesley Kane, tenor; Megan Troyer, trumpet; Sarah Plumley, horn; Arne Anderson, vibraphone; Brandon Apol, Josiah Hintz, percussion; Anna Raquet, Harp; Hannah Rinehart, piano; Ellen Raquet, violin; Samuel Franklin, viola; Hanna Bahorik, cello
envies of the simple mind
©2015-16 Andy McFarlane