The Sun Is The Ocean

“The Sun is the Ocean” (circa 1980-1981) was my first undergraduate composition. I was 26 years old at the time studying composition with Janice Giteck at Cornish Institute for the Allied Arts located in Seattle Washington. 

“The Sun is the Ocean” holds a special place for me in my heart. When I started to work on the piece I made a pact with myself not to alter or revise one single micron of the music as I worked on it. I did this because at the time I was influenced by the work of science fiction writer Harlan Ellison and he once said this is how he likes to write, very in the moment.

 I composed“The Sun is the Ocean” in segments at the piano in a movie theatre that I worked at. The movie theatre owned a piano and it was made available to the general public. When I had the opportunity I would come in sit down and begin work sometimes amidst crowds of people waiting to watch the movie. 

I must say what joy! What fun!

Writing the text proved to be, for me, the most challenging and the most difficult aspect of the craft of creation. Creating the music was relatively easy for me. The meaning of the piece concerns the inner realm of the heart. And poetry can with great satisfaction express the inexpressible.

I love the simplicity, sincerity and transparency of “The Sun is the Ocean.”

There are brief sections of solo soprano.

The full score and Harp part are both in A4 format.