“Distant Light” is an animation created for the choir piece by the same title. Based on Illustrations by Paul van Gemen and on text by Elea Bekkers. Animation and composition by me. Arranged for high voices by Hansje van Welbergen.

Performed by Veronika Akhmetchina, Marleen van Os, Channe Visscher, Viktoria Nikolova, Sylvia Boone, Hansje van Welbergen and Elea Bekkers.

Text:

The trees seem green. The yellow leaves float feebly to the forest floor.
And as she took off she realised she could not fly.
Not even the sun now warmed the city that had killed her dreams.
The light is low and they could only fall.

The Distant Light, commissioned by Ensemble Nieuwe Muziek, tells the story of a girl trapped inside her room. Watching the world outside in the midst of winter. Even though all the trees are barren, the sun shines through them, making them appear full of leaves.

The text was written by Elea Bekkers. Illustrations by Paul van Gemen.

“Dusk” and “After Dusk” are two a capella pieces I wrote for the Utrechtse Studenten Cantorij (www.uscantorij.nl), a wonderful choir which offers young composers the chance to write new music for choir. The pieces were written for their concerts going by the name of “Twilight Zone”. After I wrote “Dusk”, they asked me to write a sequel, which became “After Dusk”. Whereas “Dusk” is about the relative peaceful side of twilight, “After Dusk” is a take on the darkness of night in a more harrowing and percussive way.