Thank you for listening. Check back for more!
Spring of Helicon is a tone poem inspired by the Umpqua River in Roseburg, Oregon. Growing up there as a child, the most memorable parts of Roseburg were always the luscious trees, the way light dances across the water, be it puddles or the Umpqua itself, and the fog creeping over the hills and mountains. The title is drawn from the final lines of Henry H. Woodward’s 1889 poem “To Roseburgh, Oregon,” which features a dialogue to the Muse, using the river as a metaphor for creative flow, memory, and the passing of time. Reminiscent of a waltz, Spring of Helicon guides the listener through the forests, where you will encounter lyrical flutes, warm trumpets, shimmery saxophones, and more. These instruments play back and forth with each other, building in textures towards complexity and density. Metric disruption and rhythmic consistency give the piece a sense of drift.
This piece was written as a culmination of the Senior Capstone Project at OSU, debuted by the Roseburg High School Wind Ensemble May, 2025. The recording is performed by the Oregon State University Wind Symphony, directed by Olin Hannum, and presented by PRAx.
Inspired from the first chapter of Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt, where the titular characters Keturah and Lord Death encounter each other in a forest. During this scene, Keturah notices that the birds are silent. While she is overwhelmed with fear, Keturah decides to play a game.
Composed and first performed in November 2023 by Danielle B. Painter
In a Coffee Shop in-between the death and rebirth of time, there is someone waiting. Stirring their drink, they watch as time passes, waiting for their soul mate to arrive after their life on Earth is complete. Although they are never able to find each other while they’re alive, they wait, knowing that one day, they will be united in the Coffee Shop at the End of the World.