In Times of Descent (from Songs of Hope in Strange Times) (PERUSAL SCORE) by Amy Gordon

The music and lyrics of Songs of Hope in Strange Times: In Times of Descent was wri3en during the COVID-19 global pandemic of 2020-onwards and was commissioned by SACRA/PROFANA, directed by Juan Carlos Acosta. The overall song cycle is five movements long, with each movement reflecOng on how to find hope and meaning during strange and unknown Omes of life. In Times of Descent is the frenzied opening movement of the cycle, represenOng those first chaoOc and terrifying days when COVID-19 appeared in March, 2020 in the United States. The piece portrays this unse3ling Ome through sinking, descending chromaOc lines and heavy metal-inspired pulsaOng strings. This feeling of descending can be applied to those Omes in life when the world as we know it seems to fall apart and the end is nowhere in sight, such as the first days following a loved one's passing, the minutes aUer receiving life-altering news, or other moments immediately following a tragedy. This movement acts as a mirror of the fiUh and final movement In Times of Rising: using rising instead of falling lines, referencing the "sky and sea" (which are clouded by the darkness described in In Times of Descent), and other elements of contrast.

This movement could be performed as a stand-alone piece or as part of the enOre song cycle.

Text

We descend below the surface To where no light breaks through. Is it here in total darkness, Where there is no sky or sea? In this floorless ocean, Is it here the answer finds us?

About the composer: Amy Gordon is an acOve composer, arranger, songwriter, and vocalist based in Los Angeles, CA. As a choral composer, she has worked with and been commissioned by numerous choirs, including being the composer-in-residence for Nova Vocal Ensemble. She has also scored numerous films. She has a BA in ComposiOon from Loyola Marymount University and an MM in ComposiOon from California State University, Long Beach.