Great Lake Music 

For oboe, bassoon, harp, harpsichord and strings (3331). Duration - 15-16 minutes.

Water connects, and isolates. In history, bodies of water served as highways of commerce and connection, binding people together across great distances. But water also served as a barrier, isolating and preserving places from encroachment. A person can travel thousands of miles across the water to find a place to escape the troubles and toils of the world.

The Great Lakes are no exception to this history. All around these Lakes, cities and communities share similar stories – the water as a precious resource and meeting place for Native Americans, until the arrival of European colonists; the water brought industry, fueled by immigration – industries that damaged the natural world and eventually collapsed; and the water is a source of new paths forward, bringing tourism and tensions.

This work was commissioned by the Beaver Island Performing Arts Alliance for its 2024 Baroque on Beaver Festival. The premiere was conducted by Robert Nordling on August 1, 2024, with Jennet Ingle, oboe; Mark Ortwein, bassoon; and Beth Colpean, harp.