An Angel’s Account

Program Notes

The chamber group Helix Collective commissioned several composers to write a piece for their ensemble using spoken word, where the instrumentalists themselves were to speak during the piece. The whole concert program, entitled LA Stories was to be all about Los Angeles. The text came from LA writers, the music from LA composers, and it was performed by this Los Angeles-based ensemble. The text I chose to incorporate comes from many historical letters, documents, news articles, and accounts of the people who first came to Los Angeles. This piece creates a snapshot of Los Angeles in its early days. It turns out, back then people referred to LA citizens as “angels,” thus the title of my piece.