Spirit Makes Life (L’esprit fait la vie)
RBM-115
SATB chorus with Piano or Full Orchestra or Wind Ensemble

This work was originally scored for mixed chorus and symphonic wind ensemble, in 2005, for the opening of a new concert hall in Corpus Christi, Texas. The commissioning institution, Texas A & M University at Corpus Christi, asked one of their professors – Dr. Robb Jackson – to write a poem for the occasion and the result formed the basis used by the composer to create this new work. Since the academic institution in question is situated on the Texas coast the writer chose to fill his poem with sea imagery and musical metaphors related to shore-side living. This portrayed well the sense of an ocean-side artistic retreat – appropriate to the dedication of a new concert hall in a coastal community. 
 
The composer was struck by the French sensibility and ambience of the text, so the resulting composition is distinctly tinged with Ravel and Debussy-like overtones and color. The textures have been conceived using time-honored Impressionistic scoring techniques, and the instrumental sounds are intended to evoke the shading, color and vibrancy of classic orchestral Impressionism, behind both warm lyricism and vigorous declamation from the choral forces.