Northern Spire

About Cumulus Reverie

Composed for flute and cello, Cumulus Reverie (2019) is intended as a musical reflection on an activity which many of us engaged in as children, but have somehow forgotten when as we have reached adulthood. You know, that simple practice of gazing into the sky on a beautiful day and interpreting the shapes of the clouds as they pass. The work's opening material returns throughout as the "connective tissue" among brief musical ideas that never quite fully develop, much like the shapes we might see in the clouds that pass above us. It is my hope that this short piece will remind us to revel in the beauty that surrounds us and that creativity is rooted in our child-like imagination.

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This piece was recorded in 2025 by Duo Envol (Melanie Chirignan and Laura Melnicoff), and a wonderful animated video was created for the piece by Tiny Planet Productions.  The animated video was premiered in November of 2025 at the Saratoga Springs, NY Public Library, with help from a grant provided by Saratoga Arts.

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Click on the title page image above to view sample pages from the score.

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Below is a link to the 2025 animated video of the piece, as well as a recording of the premiere in June 2019.