Program Note:

"Ritual Series" is a composition in seven miniatures that draws inspiration from the ceremonial occurrences that mark our lives. The piece’s concept came from an exhibit by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World called “Ritual and Memory,” which showcased ritual objects used by men and women, warriors and wives, kings and farmers, in celebrations and in funerals. The exhibition invited its viewers to consider beliefs, ritual practices, and community organization in the ancient civilizations of the Balkan region. The brief movements of this music — birth, buried, ceremony, feast, offering, mourn, and spirit — are intended to be performed in any order the performers choose, with repetitions or eliminations of sections as the performers see fit.

In "Ritual Series," the three instruments - clarinet, flute, and acoustic guitar - combine to create a soundscape that reflects the emotional and symbolic weight of these rituals. In the ancient world, as in the present, identification with a collective culture frequently informs a person’s individual identity—community membership and a sense of knowing one’s position within a group provides a grounding for understanding one’s place in the wider world. This piece is a reflection of these ideas.