Wanderer (2009/revised 2022)

I called this work “Wanderer” because of its unhurried and meandering nature, its melodies that move circuitously, like fog or smoke drifting through a landscape. I feel there’s an aspect of wandering to the act of composing: the exploration of new material is like ambling through strange terrain, in and out of cul-de-sacs, discovering possible paths. For me, wandering is like a mode of thought, a musing state; wandering is similar to wondering. This work was commissioned by the California Ear Unit through the Canada Council for the Arts, and is dedicated to them, with my thanks.