An Everywhere of Silver

When composing An Everywhere of Silver for orchestra, I considered the vast, awe-inspiring environments we have here on earth, whether it be stark landscapes of ice or the seemingly unending depths of our oceans. It was the latter I was drawn to when I came across the poem of the same name by the American poet, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), and was inspired by the imagery in her words:

An everywhere of silver,
With ropes of sand
To keep it from effacing
The track called land.

The poem presents a ceaseless yet fragile landscape, conjuring a sense of isolation and transience; the silvery expanse suggests a limitless surface, while the ‘ropes of sand’ serve as an ephemeral boundary attempting to contain, and protect, the ever-moving sea. The piece begins with large expanses of sound to suggest the vast depths of the dark ocean, which are separated by a fragmented melody presented in horns, followed by lower brass, to reflect the stark, minimalist imagery in the poem. This is contrasted with delicate figures in high woodwinds, celeste, harp, and metallic percussion to reflect the silvery surfaces swirling above. The music travels through a collage of contrasting sections of stillness and motion, with fragments appearing and dissipating throughout the orchestra, reflecting the changing nature of the sea and the shifting relationship between the sea and the sand, nature and ourselves. There are more playful moments in the music as the sea traces, teases, and dances with the shoreline. The piece ends with an evocation of the waves; large sweeping strings lay the foundation for a strong statement of the melody in unison horns tracing above. An Everywhere of Silver highlights the importance and beauty of the ocean, as well as the cyclical nature of time, which cannot be halted, and the prevailing notion that nature is much bigger than ourselves.

Grace-Evangeline Mason - 2026