Program Note

the Fog,
the Surf, the Birds, the San Franciscans,
the Fog

The Villa Sinfonia of San Francisco commissioned this work for their tour in France in 2013. I chose an Impressionistic style to honor the host country and a musical description of one of my favorite places in San Francisco for the subject.

The music begins and ends with the fog, as does nearly every day in that part of The City. The birds are seagulls depicted by violin glissandi calling to one another over the surf. In the middle section we meet some typical San Franciscans: an elderly European couple dressed a bit too formally, strolling arm in arm along the beach; playful college students with frisbees; various “colorful” beachgoers of every age running around to keep warm, determined to enjoy a day by the ocean.

The fog, as ever, wins out as the piece closes with a cool melancholy.