Out of Light (2001)
(Symphonic poem for large orchestra)

Out of Light (2001)
Symphonic poem for large orchestra

Conceived over the last four years and completed in May 2001, Out of Light is a 20-minute piece scored for large orchestra describing a symphonic progress, a rites-of-passage from light into darkness.

Two opposing waves of musical energy shape the piece, two strongly contrasted worlds of colour, harmony and gesture. The first, celebratory and diatonic, evolves out of light while the second moves into a tonally unstable and ever-darkening landscape until it eventually runs out of light.

These two separate and contrasting worlds are bridged by a song without words, where a shadow of muted strings harmony falls across the orchestral texture, changing it irrevocably. This extended central lyric builds upon ideas from the opening section and turns the work on its axis. A final coda attempts a resolution of past experience as threads of material from all three sections drift past like shades or hallucinations.

Although Out of Light drew inspiration from the journey into adulthood, my intentions are purely musical rather than programmatic. Listeners should find their own private resonance and meaning within the piece as it unfurls.

Julian Philips, 2023