Through Sun-Painted Panes

Program Note

 

In writing this piece, I thought a lot about the role that light alone can play in changing the

atmosphere of a space, using stained glass as a specific reference point. In the summer of 2025, I

was able to visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland for several hours and as I walked through

the cathedral, I noticed that as the sun moved along its daily path, the ways that its light interacted

with the stained glass of the building changed. As a result, the ambiance in the room changed quite

dramatically during my visit—what was at first a dark and somber space eventually became

illuminated with a colorful brilliance as the sun struck the glass at just the right angle, causing the

light to reflect onto the walls of the room I was standing in. While the room itself never changed,

the atmosphere of the room was unrecognizable from what it was before.

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Through this piece, I wanted to explore the nuance of this change in atmosphere. The beginning of

the piece introduces a grand and spacious atmosphere, depicting the vaulted ceilings of the

cathedral. When the atmosphere changes (m. 29 with the start of a quicker tempo), the space I

depict in the music becomes livelier and more colorful. However, although the focus of the music

has shifted, motivic material from the opening remains present, reminding us that we’ve remained in

the same physical space as before, only the atmosphere has changed. The piece ends with the light

and liveliness of the room gradually fading away as the sun continues to move, returning the space

to how it was at the start.

 

Written for

Nick Izor, Bass Trombone

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Duration

6.5'

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