Lalin

Lalin (pronounced la-leen) means moon in Haitian kreyòl.  This piece was conceived and written beneath the moon and stars on my family’s farm in the Haitian countryside.  The moon is always so clear and bright, a beacon in the sky as we sit beneath it, sharing our final thoughts of the day. Often, I’m the last to bed, spending some moments of solitude under the night sky. I am always keenly aware of the change in the air as people and daytime animals ease into slumber and nocturnal creatures emerge, creating a hushed, stuttering, and suspenseful atmosphere, cradled by the light of the moon. In this work composed in two parts, the clarinet and cello come together to tell the moon’s story.