Music has a sense of place. The ability to create a landscape and environment. Sometimes recognized. Sometimes foreign and new. It uses sound and rhythm the way wine uses smell and taste to point to a land or country.
I had the pleasure of enjoying the opening night of the Oregon Symphony’s 2016 season. They commissioned a piece, for their 160th anniversary, from Chris Rogerson. He put together a soaring piece dedicated to the Pacific Northwest: Among Mountains.
From the first notes I was surrounded by the grandeur of the Pacific Northwest. The strings created a vision of the evergreen forests draped in thick fog. It almost had a cinematic feel to it—as though we had the point of view of an aerial camera flying over the dense Cascade forests in the early morning dew.
And then the brass… they soared into the music like Mt. Hood flies above the clouds. They were majestic and inspiring. My heart was stirred, picturing the land I love and being all the more reminded of it by such beautiful music.
I had never heard the piece before but it took me straight to a place I treasure. Music does that. It was no surprise that the crowd erupted in applause and took to their feet. A music hall of spectators were all transported to the same place. They recognized it and they marveled.