Missa Materialis (2010)

commissioned by line upon line and Owen Weaver

program note
The initial idea for Missa Materialis was inspired by a visit to the Cathedral of Junk in Austin, Texas.  The site is built upon an array of old junk yard items welded together by artist Vince Hannemann to form a series of towering, pyramid-shaped sculptures.  Considering the ritualistic cycle of western society’s economic materialism, I set out to create a soundtrack for this life-sized installation.  Borrowing from the Cathedral of Junk’s religious imagery, Missa Materialis mirrors the form of a liturgical Mass (“Missa” in latin), and includes references to specific musical fragments and texts.  The work’s core instrumentation features ‘found’ objects inspired by common consumer products such as a garbage can, boombox radio, saw, plastic water bottles, and shopping bags.  As the piece progresses, our throw-away product culture is subjugated to the inevitability of environmental destruction.

performances
Line Upon Line, University of Texas, Austin, TX – 4/7/10
Line Upon Line, University of Texas, Austin, TX – 5/1/10
Line Upon Line, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR – 3/13/11
Line Upon Line, Space 12, Austin, TX – 4/9/11
Line Upon Line, Westlake Performing Arts Center, Austin, TX – 4/21/11
Line Upon Line, Salvage Vanguard Theater, Austin, TX – 4/1/12