Awake at Night

Commissioned by ALIAS Chamber Ensemble and premiered May 6, 2015

Program Notes:

From the composer: “A longtime insomniac, my most pleasant nights are spent writing music.  But too often when I lay down and attempt to sleep, the hauntings begin: conversations where I worry I hurt someone’s feelings, distorted memories of looks from friends that I worry conveyed judgment or disdain.  A time I could have been kinder, an opportunity to comfort that I missed entirely.  Gossip, the evil contagion that, despite best intentions, I find myself joining and contributing to.  Unmindful complaining, intensely infused with vitriol, even though the subject matter is more toward the banal, so absurdly out of context in our relatively easy first world.  The perseveration of the worry-wheel, always circling back with brief extrapolations of escapist improvisation.  And finally, in the wee hours, the deep awareness of love that inevitably, inexorably seeps its way into my long-awaited slumber and my blessed life. 

During the day, the drama of insomnia seems almost comical in its melodrama, but in the long hours awake at night, it’s very real.  My hope is that as you hear each movement unravel a chapter of my sleepless night, you’ll enjoy the humor in our very human condition and know it’s alright to laugh at ourselves, at least a little.”

Review:

“Ellisor’s score is lyrical, beautifully arranged for strings and filled from beginning to end with joy and humor. ALIAS’ musicians clearly enjoyed this music, since they gave it a lively performance.”

John Pitcher – The Nashville Scene – 5/11/15