Asleep in a Blanket Spun of Energy

Composed for Inversion Ensemble’s March 2019 Dream Keeper concert, Asleep in a Blanket Spun of Energy for mixed chorus and electronic track evokes vivid imagery of Margaret Noodin’s poem We Are Returning Always. Honoring the composer’s Ojibwe ancestors, the piece sets all of the English text and a few key words of the Anishinaabemowin text from the bilingual poem that beautifully captures a glimpse into the natural and celestial wonders of the Ojibwe world. The music reflects a taste of the syncopated embellished singing, pentatonic melodies, and steady drumbeat characteristic of Ojibwe music. The electronic track provides both a compelling rhythmic foundation and a fantastical sonic representations of the moon, nebulae, supernovae, aurora borealis, and the forests of the Ojibwe lands.