To Eat the Sun (2017)

Listen:

Rick Barber, double bass

Program Note:

A solar eclipse, especially a total solar eclipse, is an incredibly special occurrence. Humanity has relied on the sun’s movement through the sky and we have been predicting solar eclipses since ancient times, but we have not always enjoyed them. To Eat the Sun paints a picture of a solar eclipse in the days before we even knew the Earth was round. Early humans did not understand the basic concept behind these astronomical events and many considered them to be quite distressing. They believed in terrible omens, endless feuds, giant beasts, and demons that would devour the sun.

Preview:

To Eat the Sun, pg. 3

Performances:

Full premier on August 10, 2017: Richard Barber, double bass, Wyoming Composer’s Festival, AMK Ranch, GTNP, WY

August 9, 2017: Richard Barber, double bass, Wyoming Composer’s Festival, Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, Jackson, WY