Rapprochements (Reconciliations) (2000)

[rapprochements, pronounced: rap-rosh-ma', is a French word meaning: to approach again; reconciliation]

This work for Inter-Cultural Orchestra had its beginnings in November 1999, after the first Westcoast Sacred Music Festival, when I approached Artistic Director Joseph "Pepe" Danza with the rather grandiose plan of writing a piece for everybody. His response was, "You're on!" In the days and months that followed, Executive Director Nancy Fischer and I applied to the Vancouver Foundation for a grant to help fund the work. In June of this year we received word that a grant was forthcoming and since then we have been working feverishly (sometimes literally so) to make it real.

Truth to tell, the idea for an Inter-Cultural Orchestra had been germinating in me for a number of years, and the Sacred Music Festival seemed like a 'divine invitation' to finally get it done. When God thus opens a door it makes good sense to cross the threshhold, no? The work is meant to encapsulate what the Sacred Music Festival stands for - the coming together of peoples from all walks of human culture in their various 'sacred' aspects. Here then is an attempt to create a new sacred space as it were, a space 'between' the many sacred spaces we inhabit.

Again truly, it is not meant as an inter-faith work per se, though its subject matter, reconciliation, is certainly an inter-faith matter in our world today, as ever.

The work is comprised of 6 movements and its approximate duration is 40 minutes. The programmatic aspect of the work is the depiction of the stages one might go through in proceeding from Conflict to Reconciliation. The movements are titled as follows:

I. The Clash of Worlds (Conflict)
II. Far from the Struggle of Wills (Reflection)
III. Hustle Bustle (Action)
IV. I Dream of a Better World (Hope)
V. The Playful Spirit Returns (Resolution)
VI. Reconciliation

I wish to thank, from the bottom of my heart, my friends and colleagues who have made the work possible: Nancy Fischer, Pepe Danza, Steven Zaban, and the many outstanding professional musicians who have graciously given of their time and energy to bring the score to life. I am deeply honoured by and indebted to them all.

The work is dedicated to my partner in life and love, Naomi.

Moshe Denburg, October 2000