A Musical Experience of Genesis

Spectrum Staff | September 24, 2009

“Genesis: A Symphonic Poem”

“This is one of my favorite stories because of the power it has and the underlying truth that tells about how we live.” For composer Matthew Reeves, a 2009 graduate of Pacific Union College who’s now studying music theory at Boston University, the Genesis story was so compelling it turned into his senior composition and Honors project. “Genesis: A Symphonic Poem” is a roughly 22-minute orchestral piece in one movement that was first performed at PUC at the end of last school year.

At a summer meeting of the Adventist Forum Sabbath School class at PUC, Matthew shared an audio recording of the performance with a new visual accompaniment and discussion time. In addition to the power of the piece itself, and to the piece as an exploration of a key story of Christianity, Matthew’s work is particularly interesting at a time when ongoing heated discussions are pounding away at the scientific place of creation in Adventism. In Matthew’s piece, the science or historical facts of creation really don’t need to be part of the discussion – it’s a refreshing (though still intense) look at the pure power of an incomparable story, of the dynamics of God and earth and man that permeate and underlie our lives.

If you follow the link to Matthew’s posting at Vimeo, you’ll find program notes that describe the theme of each section.

Genesis: A Symphonic Poem from Matthew Reeeves on Vimeo.

Composer: Matthew Reeves. Director: Asher Raboy. Musicians: Cara Tan, Clarinet; Jeffrey Cho, Horn; Jaylene Chung, Piano; Christal Nishikawa, Violin; Laurel Hansen, Viola; Brian Kim, Cello.

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