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Dark Train Comin' (2001) |
For harpsichord and tape - c.13'
Each of our lives has an occasional ambush that catches us unprepared. As Kurt Vonnegut puts it: ‘The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.' Okay, in my case it was a Thursday, but as a person who's never been ill, always healthy, physically fit, an active bicyclist and tennis player, I wasn't ready for the doctor to tell me I was about to catch that ‘dark train' if I didn't have open heart surgery immediately. It was sobering and traumatic, but after the initial shock it was actually a great adventure and a great escape.
When Dreams Collide (chorus and orchestra) and Dark Train Comin' were both written during my convalenscence and were good, exciting projects to focus and work on. While my life has certainly taken on more urgency and appreciation after the surgery, I haven't completely lost my sense of humour nor my interest in musical adventure.
Dark Train Comin' is a suite of four movements: 1. Death's Dark Train's a Comin' ; 2. The Devil's got the Best Tunes ; 3. All A-Board ; and 4. Waltzing in the Ether .
Notes © Stephen Montague