Awake

by Peringer, Patrick.

Marilyn Shrude, Advisor Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light. -Ephesians 5:14b (New Living Translation) The text from Ephesians is a bold invocation to awaken from the dead and begin to receive light. Awake is an orchestra piece that juxtaposes death and light. These ideas have been expressed in many different ways; Awake is my personal retelling and journey. With this piece I hope to give listeners greater insight into their own search for truth. The journey is depicted in Awake’s five sections, each one a stage of my journey. The first section opens quietly with sustained strings that represent the beginning of a life; the soul is a blank slate that inevitably will grow and be affected by its surroundings. To illustrate this, orchestration shifts from thin to thick; the protagonist is overwhelmed by the opposing forces of God and the world. The small voice of God, a brass chorale, is overshadowed by dissonant strings. Eventually, God allows the protagonist to fall into the way of the world shown through increased rhythmic activity and intensity. Section two is vociferous with its aggressive rhythms and dissonant harmonic material. It leaves the impression that the protagonist is not malicious, but is still self-centered and primarily concerned with his/her own contentment. The vacillation of the section mimics the struggles of a person who is lost and devoid of faith. A harmonic shift at the end of the section signals a call from God. Section three, with its ensuing trumpet solo, is a moment of introspection; the protagonist decides to begin a journey of faith. In section four, faith, in a whirlwind of contrasting and uncontrolled emotions, changes from an idea to reality. This chaos is illustrated through abrupt changes in rhythm and key centers. In section five, the momentum drastically increases and leads to a climactic chorale, representing the moment of illumination. This is followed by a coda, which conveys the peace and comfort that comes from walking in the light. The end of the piece fades out, showing that the journey never actually ends. iii