Coruscate
Coruscate (2018) for chamber orchestra was composed with the help of an Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award from the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativity Office at UNCG in the summer of 2018. It was presented at conferences at both the Southern Conference Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF) and the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS), as well as at UNC Greensboro’s own undergraduate research symposium. The definition of “coruscate” is, “to emit vivid flashes of light; sparkle; scintillate; gleam.” This piece seeks to convey this effect through its melodic, rhythmic, and textural elements. The opening section uses both melodic and rhythmic “sparkles,” highlighting different instruments of the ensemble. The second section introduces prominent solos in the ensemble, contrasted by bright responses played in unison by the ensemble. The third section focuses more on the sparkling as a textural element, with undulating motion that eventually evolves into polyrhythms underneath the melodies, as well as bursts of color from other instruments in the ensemble as the add to the shimmering texture. The ending section closes out the piece with a much more unified structure and the work ends with a striking dissonance.