locomotive reverie

for horn, tuba, and electronics

“locomotive reverie” stemmed from hearing the trains in Siknikt (Sackville, NB) while walking late at night. When there’s a train in the distance, the sound washes over the sky like a cloud passing by. As the train grows near, the horn becomes more clear, and as it distances from you, the chord depresses slightly. It has always felt a bit surreal to me. This work hones in on the dream state that I imagine as I walk home—where was the train coming from, where is it going, what does it carry, what does it matter. The music drops the listener into a contemplative trance, as if slowing down time until the end, when the train has passed.

"locomotive reverie" was premiered by Jeffrey Vézina-Goodwin, horn; Hope Salmonson, tuba; and Dr. Olivier Huebscher, electronics at Hope's composition recital on April 10, 2021.