Concert Notes

Sarah Hennies’ Falling Together

Notes by the composer

For many years I have been interested in labor as musical material. Labor is a necessity for human wellbeing—both economically and psychologically—despite being a source of weariness and stress. I often compose this “work music” using a series of unusual repeating patterns that represent the effort and repetition of labor.

Falling Together is inspired by the orchestral work of Iannis Xenakis, who composed individual parts for each member of the orchestra rather than grouping musicians by section that play in unison. The work’s utopian “society” of all members working differently but together gradually exhausts itself.