It has taken some time, but I finally finished recording and editing a video for the last movement of The Divine Office. I remember when writing this work facing a difficult decision: should I keep the contemplative nature of the offices, as one might actually experience or do I follow the logical conclusion of a multi-movement musical work? Well, the answer is the latter. Gotta end big.
With so many quiet movements, the work really needs something sparkling at the end. I mean that somewhat literally: I had the vastness of space and stars in mind. Compline happens in the middle of the night and in those ancient days, the stars are very visible. It is not programmatic, but growing up in Alaska and seeing the aurora borealis regularly, definitely sticks in one’s imagination.
