Newell: Of Time and Place

This work for Bb clarinet is in three movements. The first is reflective and quiet, the second calls for a light and graceful staccato throughout and the third is a passionate recitative. I composed it in June and July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of strange solitude, often filled with a sensation of emptiness as many accustomed activities ceased. During that time I came across the poem To What Listens, by Wendell Berry. The final lines spoke powerfully to me:”…like the wren I sing to what listens again.” Instrumentation: Clarinet Solo
Duration: 9′ 30