published on
Mimesis ensemble:
Jonathan Engle, flute; Mara Plotkin, clarinet; Scott Elliott, trombone; Sean Kleve, percussion; Nicholas Ong, piano; Sarah Lemons, viola; Erich Schoen-Rene, cello; David McMullin, conductor
David McMullin, composer
Live recording of US premiere (revised version), March 7, 2009,
Peter J. Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, New York, NY
A Still Small Voice was composed for Ensemble MD7 of Slovenia, who premiered it on July 9, 2008 at the festival Ljubljana.
I have always liked the softer side of the trombone, which is not the aspect of it that most people think of first. When Pavel Mihelčič invited me to write a piece for Ensemble MD7, I had the idea for a short work with a prominent role for the trombone, in which the dynamic level remains quiet throughout. The title refers to the following biblical passage, which, among many other things, says something to me about the nature of inspiration, and seemed to fit well with the particular inspiration of this piece:
"And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:11-12)