Alto flute and marimba

Braided River Nights was inspired by the dark and sensuous beauty of the alto flute and large marimba. In its ongoing texture, the two instruments are continuously intertwined with one another, like the river after which the work is named. If one aspect of the piece suggests an exotic, romantic atmosphere, another – with its fleeting tunes - is reminiscent of traditional American riverside celebrations, especially near the end, with its quotation of Robert Lowry’s famous hymn “Shall We Gather at the River.”