Clark Street Bridge
for mixed choir (SATB) unaccompanied
words by Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)
This piece is a musical exploration of the humanity that lies beneath--and is often deliberately obscured by--a culture of hectic overwork that values commerce above all else. The words come from a poem by Carl Sandburg that contrasts the traffic on a bridge during the day with the same bridge at night: the frantic indifference of the daily grind followed by the intimate melancholy of night, when we can more easily reflect on the stories of the people and landmarks around us. The music is an exploration of this contrast.