| Movements/SectionsMov'ts/Sec's | 1 |
|---|---|
| Composition Year | 2010 |
| Genre Categories | Pieces; For marimba, cello; Scores featuring the marimba; |
Contents |
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| Work Title | The Cavern |
|---|---|
| Alternative. Title | |
| Composer | Shirley, Nathan |
| I-Catalogue NumberI-Cat. No. | INS 3 |
| Movements/SectionsMov'ts/Sec's | 1 |
| Year/Date of CompositionY/D of Comp. | 2010 |
| First Publication. | 2010 |
| Average DurationAvg. Duration | 8 minutes |
| Composer Time PeriodComp. Period | Modern |
| Piece Style | Modern |
| Instrumentation | Cello, marimba |
Composed in 2010, The Cavern takes us into the subterranean world of a living cave.
We begin in the still forest, looking into the mouth of a massive hole in the earth. As we move closer there is a gentle but steady breeze spilling out from the depths of the cavern.
Once inside the temperature suddenly drops and we are plunged into darkness. Excitement rings in the air as our eyes attempt to adjust to the rapid change, barely able to make out the strange formations illuminated by our small lights. We are in a great chamber -- the ceiling disappears into darkness above. Ice cold drops of water, heard dripping from unseen places, land periodically on our heads. With eyes not fully adjusted, we continue on.
We enter a passageway which narrows substantially. Our lights now better reveal the glistening rock around us, marbled with color, shimmering with water filtering down through the earth above. Stalactites and stalagmites reach out from above and below, like giant fingers frozen in time. A small stream flows by quickly, with a strange soft murmur.
The passageway quickly opens up into another vast expanse, only this time the darkness is both above and below. The soft stream now cries out as it plummets down into the black abyss. We scramble along a rocky cliff edge, covered in slick unstable rocks. The darkness seems to be calling us down, but as our stamina fades and the cold bites deeper, we decide to turn back.
We retrace our steps. The path seems more familiar now. Our surroundings appear richer than before.
Entering once again into the main chamber, we are greeted with beautiful sunlight now streaming into the mouth of the cavern. We remain in awe as the light wraps around columns and reveals strange but wonderful petroglyphs on the walls all around -- from an unknown time, an unknown culture.
We step out into the still forest and pause, looking back at the mouth of the cave as the coldness slowly recedes from our bodies.
