Burning Bush Variations is a set of variations on the spiritual "Go Down, Moses." Spirituals were made known throughout the United States at the beginning of the 20th century through performances, recordings, and published songbooks. To this composer, however, the song came through oral tradition as did her first hearing of the story of the man listening to God speak through a bush aflame but not consumed.
The piece consists of seven variations, which may be performed in
any order:
Candor, a canonic refrain with a chordal verse
Plashes, brightly lilting in 5/4 meter
Justice Seekers, solemn fragmentation with echoes of a protest song
Tango, the habanera rhythmic pattern as learned from an Argentine dance
Siciliano, a rhythmic pattern from Sicily as learned from J. S. Bach's suites
Self-Portrait, free improvisation
Ether, the refrain abstracted and glistening; the verse fragmented and whispering
12min.
Recording available at
https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arsarvole3More information on the composer is available at
http://arsarvole.wordpress.com