to speak in a forgotten language — for solo violin (2022)
Commissioned by Rachel Lee Priday with the generous support of the Creative Fellowships Initiative at the University of Washington. duration 5’ (flexible)
to speak in a forgotten language was commissioned as part of a collaborative project between violinist Rachel Lee Priday and Dr. Georgy Manucharyan, a climate scientist exploring the interplay between musical motion and fluid dynamics as a part of bringing attention to turbulent currents in our oceans and their relation to climate change.
The title is taken from the poem “Witness” by M. S. Merwin, originally published in his book The Rain in the Trees. Merwin’s dedication to the environment through his activism and acts of preservation was as important as his legacy as a brilliant poet.
Rachel Lee Priday in a recording workshop at University of Washington
Still from research documentation by Dr. Manucharyan