Dirigible by Manifest

Track 1 of the album "Hiraeth."

E.M. Forster, Merchant-Ivory films, WWI, soldiers... being forced to leave a pastoral home life for the purpose of political machination.

The potential for the final war in our current political climate.

Longing, and loss; fortitude, and uncertainty about the future.

Dirigible means "capable of being steered, guided, or directed." Soldiers. Sheep.

This is what someone might have felt when having to watch their partner walk away in 1914. This is how it feels watching the world fall apart now - political unrest, climate change, pollution, overpopulation.

Harp: the mother, dismayed, yet resolute
Piano solo: the young woman, overwrought
Bassoon: the younger brother, supportive of the women, yet yearning to join the others who are leaving
Strings: the community, divided between "patriotism" and pastoral grace
Drums: the soldiers marching through the village
Pipe organ: the church, attempting to offer comfort. It fails.
Theme: England. Always England.

I have no idea where this came from, but it was a 48-hour obsession that needed to be written and recorded. It wouldn't leave me alone.

It's not where I would like it to be, but I can't work on it any longer. If I did, I might add a descending trumpet counterpoint to the high piano, and change the intro a bit. If I had better digital instrumentation, I'd add oboes, flutes, and a French horn...

But I have to leave it alone now, for my state of mind.

A multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, and audio engineer/producer, Anastasia creates live and recorded music (electronic/acoustic/collaborative) under the project name “Manifest.” She produces music for commercial projects, provides live audio production, and coordinates media/public relations for local events. She’s also an audiobook/meditation narrator for Audible and Insight Timer.

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