A Hundred Ways
for violin, ‘cello, and piano
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and scared.
Don't open the door to despair—take down a musical instrument and play!
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are a hundred ways to to pray,
a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the earth.
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī
[note diacritical marks above]
translation adapted by Evan Chambers
If we wish to find peace and happiness in this life, we need paths to get there: practices that will help us to cultivate these states. We seek out the means to close the door to despair, to see through the illusions that have been handed to us, and to move toward our best selves.
This piece is a small hymn to the effort and process of working to arrive at positive states: of peace, of vibrant energy, of release, of decisive action, and most importantly, gratitude.
The section titles in the second movement refer to practices from yoga. “Breath of Fire” (or Kapalabhati) gathers energy and light through powerfully rhythmic breathing, and “Lion’s Breath” is the forceful expulsion of lingering negativity in one loud, fierce exhalation. The piece ends with a deep bow of humility and gratitude before the mysteries and beauties of the earth.
The work was commissioned by Kevin Lawrence and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival.
A Hundred Ways (2016)--Evan Chambers (b. 1963)
for violin, ‘cello, and piano
I: Meditation
II: Breath of Fire - Lion's Breath - Deep Bow of Gratitude
Duration 17" (Movements are presented without pause)
for violin, ‘cello, and piano
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and scared.
Don't open the door to despair—take down a musical instrument and play!
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are a hundred ways to to pray,
a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the earth.
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī
[note diacritical marks above]
translation adapted by Evan Chambers
If we wish to find peace and happiness in this life, we need paths to get there: practices that will help us to cultivate these states. We seek out the means to close the door to despair, to see through the illusions that have been handed to us, and to move toward our best selves.
This piece is a small hymn to the effort and process of working to arrive at positive states: of peace, of vibrant energy, of release, of decisive action, and most importantly, gratitude.
The section titles in the second movement refer to practices from yoga. “Breath of Fire” (or Kapalabhati) gathers energy and light through powerfully rhythmic breathing, and “Lion’s Breath” is the forceful expulsion of lingering negativity in one loud, fierce exhalation. The piece ends with a deep bow of humility and gratitude before the mysteries and beauties of the earth.
The work was commissioned by Kevin Lawrence and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival.
A Hundred Ways (2016)--Evan Chambers (b. 1963)
for violin, ‘cello, and piano
I: Meditation
II: Breath of Fire - Lion's Breath - Deep Bow of Gratitude
Duration 17" (Movements are presented without pause)