ALICIA

bachorik

ARMSTRONG

|| COMPOSER 

COMPOSITIONS

Home for Flute and Piano (2019)

Giver of Stars for Soprano and Mixed Quintet (2019)

Text by Amy Lowell

Hold your soul open for my welcoming.

Let the quiet of your spirit bathe me

With its clear and rippled coolness,

That, loose-limbed and weary, I find rest,

Outstretched upon your peace, as on a bed of ivory.

Let the flickering flame of your soul play all about me,

That into my limbs may come the keenness of fire,

The life and joy of tongues of flame,

And, going out from you, tightly strung and in tune,

I may rouse the blear-eyed world,

And pour into it the beauty which you have begotten.

Tango for String Quartet (2018)

The original idea for this music grew out of my own various experiences with dance, each one leaving me with a deeper love for the art form, paired with a realization that I have two left feet. 

How Do I Love Thee? for Soprano and Piano (2018)

Corrente for Solo Cello (2018)

Memento Mori: Arm of Stone for Mixed Quintet (2018)

My favorite genre of literature for pleasure reading is the murder mystery, and the title for this work comes from a gloomy novel by author P. D. James, referring to Victorian knickknacks meant to invoke remembrances of departed loved ones. Each movement represents an object in the novel that relates to death; in this case, the marble cast of a baby’s limb is used to carry out a gory crime.

A Joyful Noise for Wind Ensemble (2018)

Commissioned by the Wachovia Winds Youth Wind Ensemble

What goes around— for Solo Cello (2017)

This piece was composed for cellist Bethany Uhler, a dear friend of mine for almost ten years. The idea for the form of the piece came from the work of the inventor and sculptor John Edmark who works almost exclusively with spirals and said of them: "I think spirals make reference to the fact that you can never return to the same place again, that nothing ever does truly repeat. It goes infinitely small, and it goes infinitely large—it's endless. We're just this piece of that larger picture."

Chorale and Fugue for Wind Ensemble (2017)

Lacquer Prints for Choir (2017)

Text by Amy Lowell

One night

When there was a clear moon,

I sat down

To write a poem

About maple trees.

But the dazzle of moonlight

In the ink

Blinded me,

And I could only write

What I remembered.

Therefore, on the wrapping of my poem

I have inscribed your name.

Each Day a New Beginning for Viola and Bass Clarinet (2017)

metamorph (2017)

Seared Valor for String Quartet (2016)

Just before writing this piece I read a series of short interviews that photographer Brandon Stanton held with veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their stories highlighted both the physical dangers they faced and the inner turmoil of trying to do the right thing without always knowing what that right thing was. I have the deepest respect for those who have served in the armed forces, and while we honor those who have shown great courage in battle, we sometimes forget to recognize those who continue to live courageously with the memories of their experiences.

Around the same time, a dear friend and retired army captain who had been like a grandfather to me passed away. Watching him persevere through failing health told the same story of a man living with courage through incredibly difficult circumstances and finding peace at the end of his journey.

Tango for String Orchestra (2016)

Like You for Solo Clarinet (2016)

A Visit to the Asylum for Flute Ensemble (2016)

Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Once from a big, big building,

When I was small, small,

The queer folk in the windows

Would smile at me and call.

And in the hard wee gardens

Such pleasant men would hoe:

"Sir, may we touch the little girl's hair!"—

It was so red, you know.

They cut me coloured asters

With shears so sharp and neat,

They brought me grapes and plums and pears

And pretty cakes to eat.

And out of all the windows,

No matter where we went,

The merriest eyes would follow me

And make me compliment.

There were a thousand windows,

All latticed up and down.

And up to all the windows,

When we went back to town,

The queer folk put their faces,

As gentle as could be;

"Come again, little girl!" they called, and I

Called back, "You come see me!"

Here and Now for Cello and Piano (2016)

Somewhere or Other for Cello and Piano (2016)

Three Songs of a Young Boy for Mezzo-Soprano and Piano (2015)