Trust of a Tree
Quick Facts
Catalogue ID: B0503-0001
Psalm: 115
Instrumentation: Clarinet and piano
Duration: Approximately 5 minutes
Composed: 2016
Performing Rights: BMI
Listen
The Story
Psalm 115 asks a wonderfully uncomfortable question: what happens when we place our trust in something that cannot possibly bear it?
Trust of a Tree grew from that question. The Psalm contrasts trust in God with the absurdity of depending upon things human beings have made for themselves. The title pushes that absurdity a little further. A tree may be beautiful, strong and apparently permanent, but asking it to save you is another matter entirely.
The music begins from a place of deceptive calm. Written as a sonata for clarinet and piano, its first material settles into F major with an almost complacent confidence. A second idea becomes more unsettled and agitated, exposing the instability underneath that apparent security. That contrast became central to the piece: misplaced trust can feel reassuring for a while, but it cannot finally provide what we are asking of it.
Psalm 115 directs the answer elsewhere: “O Israel, trust in the LORD.”
Score & Parts
Score provided as a free PDF download.
US Letter size | A4 paper size
Planning a performance?
Please contact Stephen P. Brown with the ensemble or institution name and anticipated performance date.
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