The Ferry Crossing
COMMISSIONED
Vermont Symphony Orchestra
FIRST PERFORMANCE
September 25, 2015 by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra at Johnson State College in Johnson, VT. Jaime Laredo, conductor.
ENSEMBLE
2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings.
DURATION
12 minutes
PROGRAM NOTE
Ferries are a mode of transport I have never encountered until I moved to Vermont in 2003. I left California after college, and while trekking to Burlington I found a vessel that would transport me magically over the endless Lake Champlain.
And so I lived and worked in Vermont for four years, discovering snow and seasons and the wonderful people that make it a lovable and stalwart state, and I took many ferry rides during my stay there.
And then I left.
I left four years later across the ferry that traverses between Burlington and Port Kent. It was the last ferry ride I took in Vermont.
This piece is my arrival and departure from the Green Mountain State, with the horns guiding you along the way. Even though my stay there was short-lived, I miss Vermont. I miss it terribly. There may be a time in the future when I return, but until then, I can visit, riding the ferry to my destination.