James Granville Eakin

We Are the Stars from Stargazing

In 2002, I was commissioned by the Turtle Creek Chorale to compose a three-movement star-themed piece for their upcoming 'celestial' concert. I immediately knew that I wanted strings and celeste to serve as my heavenly' accompaniment; but what text should I choose? After immersing myself in poetry, I whittled it down to three that sang to me: Creator of the Universe, a Plato translation, We Are the Stars, an Algonquin Native-American poem, and (I couldn't resist) Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
We Are the Stars is a spirited movement whereby the poet declares 'We are the stars which sing, Ourlight is our voice, ' The rapidly alternating 3/8 and 2/4 meters, and ebb-and-flow dynamics, dance in celebration with the text. '
James Eakin III
Duration: 2:55