Sea Change

2009

Program Note

Sea Change
You are no more, but sunken in a sea
Sheer into dream, then thousand leagues, you fell;
And now you lie green-golden, while a bell
Swings with the tide, my heart; and all is well
Till I look down, and wavering, the spell−
Your loveliness−returns. There in the sea,
Where you lie amber-pale and coral-cool,
You are most loved, most lost, most beautiful.
─Genevieve Taggard (1894−1948)
“’Sea-change’ is a poetic term meaning a striking change or a gradual transformation in which the
form is retained but the substance is replaced. The expression is Shakespeare’s, taken from the song
in The Tempest when Ariel sings about transformation brought about by the sea.
This work is from a series of pieces called ‘…from the edges of the earth,’ based on images, text of
sea, sea nymphs, and sirens. The other works from this collection are: The Singing of the Waves for
three flutes, piano and spoken voice (commissioned and premiered by Jane Rigler, Anne LaBerge,
John Fonville, flutists and Lisa Moore, pianist/spoken voice); The Living Sea for flute, electronics,
and film (commissioned by Claire Chase, flutist, International Contemporary Ensemble with IMAX
filmmaker Greg MacGillivray); and Sunk Lyonesse for piano trio (written for Trio Solisti).”
─Pamela Madsen
The world premiere of Sea-Change I was on October 30, 2009 in the Meng Concert Hall of the Joseph
Clayes III Performing Arts Center at the University of California-Fullerton, Fullerton, California.

About Pamela Madsen

Pamela Madsen is a composer, sound artist, performer, and curator of new music. From her massive landscape inspired projects and intimate chamber music creations to her multi-media collaborations, and organization…

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