2026
5’20”
Program Notes:
At the Mercy narrates a quest for fulfillment. The piece is composed of a series of ascents, each rising towards ethereal and glorious destinations. They grow from murky openings to become empowered and resplendent before collapsing, overburdened, by their own weight. Repeatedly we attempt this rise, hands outstretched in yearning, only to fall after our fingers graze upon transcendence.
These long ascents are juxtaposed by musical ‘gifts’ or ‘mercies’. They arrive suddenly, appearing as unexpected beauty to liberate us from this cycle of striving and failing. In this way, “At the Mercy” presents enlightenment not as the product of our efforts but as gifts freely given from sources outside out control. They cannot be created or earned, but merely appreciated as brief respites and mercies.
Premiere Information:
At the Mercy was premiered by the Texas New Music Ensemble as part of 2026 Texas New Music Festival.
Flute – Isabelle Jamois
Clarinet – Carmen Borregales
Trumpet – George Chase
Trombone – Spencer Chapman
Percussion – Seth Bagwell
Piano – Alisiya Boiko
Violin I – Emily Schmitz
Violin II – Mario Zelaya
Viola – Lexi Pelton
Cello – Vyacheslav Dobrushkin
Double Bass – Claudia Arroyave
Conducted by Joshua Tobias