“Apocrypha III” is one movement from my dissertation work Psalms and Meditations. This movement was played by Warp Trio featuring LiKWUiD, a spoken word artist who regularly performs with the ensemble. The piece itself includes a significant amount of improvisation. The players interpret seven staves on the score which include different kinds of instruction from standard notation to written instructions. The players are free to jump between different parts at any time and to intermingle or improvise within the context of the notation. The lyrics are a found poem which I constructed from several biblical psalms including Psalm 88, which features prominently; they are mark this piece as the first overtly religious work I have written. Still interested in performer interpretation, I constructed the lyrics from songs which are quite doubtful, revealing some of my own vulnerability about Christianity and allowing non-Christian performers a way to express themselves through this music.
Composer – Teacher – Musician
