Creation Suite
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” These words begin the account of the Creation in Genesis, and a story that to me has held personal significance for a long time. Some of my earliest memories are of the wonder I had over God being a creator and of my realization that, as a subcreator, I too could create wonderful things. This was nurtured by my family, friends, and faith in ways that are often difficult to describe or attribute, but that were no less meaningful.
That said, bringing this piece to completion has been a long and complex journey, one that took more than a decade from when I initially decided to write it. Much of this trouble was due to the scope of this foundational story – although it is a relatively simple story, the themes it addresses are incredibly complex and are presented in such a way that they continue to echo throughout the scriptural canon and the history of the world. I made several attempts over the years to write this piece, each of which never came to fruition, but in this version I finally feel like I have addressed the themes of this story in ways that are both intellectually interesting and musically satisfying.
I hope that this piece is as inspirational for you as it was for me, and that you come away from this performance edified and uplifted.
-JMW
Watch the full performance here:
Continue reading below for an extended breakdown of each movement!
I. Light and Dark
Light is created and divided from the darkness. The movement begins with a strong unison C in all instruments (“let there be light”), the echoes of which we then follow as the light spreads throughout the universe. Structurally, this piece is divided into 7 statements of the note C, pulses of light as it spreads through a dark universe. Although nothing else has yet been created, the other movements are musically referenced as the possibilities of creation are foreshadowed in this single act.
Light is represented with swelling chords and mysterious bells, beginning in the very upper registers and gradually moving downwards. Darkness is represented using a 12-tone row, beginning in the very lowest registers and moving upwards to try and overpower the light. The two are divided by middle C, but while the darkness cannot go above it the light is able to descend below it and illuminate that which was in darkness below. The movement finishes with a final C, but this time with harmonics to represent the full range of possibility that can be achieved for having known the darkness and chosen to reject it.
II: Waters Above and Beneath
A firmament (later called Heaven, or sky) is created in the midst of the waters, which divides the waters. The waters above (outer space? atmosphere? clouds?) are represented by a series of 7th chords that gradually descend and then rise again but in different permutations, whereas the waters below (oceans? oxygen?) are represented with descending pedal notes. Unlike light and darkness, the line between these is blurred and water can travel between the two distinct areas (represented by the descending violins).
IIIa: Foundations
The waters under heaven are gathered together, which creates dry land. This movement focuses on plate tectonics and the resulting earthquakes and volcanoes. A call is sent forth to gather the waters, (represented by French Horn and Trombone), which is then echoed by the men’s choir and low reeds. Slow swelling chords hint at tectonic activity and building pressure, which continue as the piece transitions into a non-repeating series of pulses. The pressure then reaches a tipping point where that stored energy suddenly and ferociously explodes into tectonic and volcanic activity. The men’s choir enters, singing text from Deuteronomy 32:22, as this violent activity continues to create continents and oceans, mountains and valleys, until with a sudden chord the earth settles and quiets down. A peaceful scene of waves crashing on shores is then represented.
The cluster chords are derived from spectral analysis of my grandparent’s grandfather clock chimes (Keininger Chimes), but are presented in fragmentary and distorted forms initially. They slowly come together until the sudden chord, perhaps foreshadowing that measured time will begin in the very next movement.
IV: Celestial Bodies
Lights are created in the heavens, the greater light (sun) and the lesser light (moon) along with the stars, and time begins to be measured. This is represented by consistent tempo being introduced in the form of quarter notes pulsing in groups of 7. The sun is represented by a melody which is played by solo violin. The moon, its light being a reflection from the sun, is represented by a melody in the solo cello that is an exact mirror of the sun melody. These two then come together in an elegant and regal dance.
The sun and the moon are also represented by cluster chords which interject at the end of each melody’s initial presentation. These represent the thinly-veiled power each has over the earth, and eventually climax in a crescendo of light and power. The stars are then represented with these same chords, but in a calmer idiom – after all, the stars are themselves suns and moons and other celestial objects. The solo violin and cello then lead the dance as stars continue to be created, and the infinite scope of creation continues into eternity.
IIIb: Plants
A fun romp through the plant kingdom represented by as many woody instruments as possible. Plants follow regular cycles but occasionally have surprises and unforeseen delights (represented by the occasional hiccup in the meter). The herbs and grasses are represented with a series of interjections by solo instruments and the women’s choir; the trees (which bear fruit) are then represented with a symmetrical but off-kilter set of meters which is overlaid with regal chords in the organ. The sighing of trees and the rustling of grasses is then represented, mirroring the crashing of waves in movement IIIa.
V: Creatures Great and Small
The animals are created and come forth from the waters. The movement begins by referencing movement II with 7th chords high in the register, which then transition into the 4-chord sequence that unifies this movement. The piano soloist then enters with arpeggiated chords and the melody, which is then joined by various other instruments representing all manner of life.
This transitions into the “waterfall” section, where the endless permutations of animals are represented with an orchestrated version of the endlessly descending tone, or the Sheppard-Risset tone. Various perceptions of time are portrayed: insect time (descending 16th notes), bird time (descending 8th notes), human time (quarter notes), and whale time (whole notes). The percussion section gradually fades in until they hit their groove, which continues through the end of the movement. The choir then joins in with a joyful and energetic representation of the excitement and wonder of the animal kingdom, followed by various other instruments doing the same. This crescendos to a mighty climax in which all creatures are praised and celebrated. The movement ends with a brief coda as the majesty of life is contemplated, with a subtle foreshadowing of the greatest of all creations to follow.
For thematic reasons, I chose to represent the entire animal kingdom in this movement rather than strictly follow the delineation in the narrative (i.e. only the birds, creeping things, and sea monsters/whales are created on the fifth day, with the “wild animals of the earth” created on the sixth day before Adam and Eve). It is also worth noting that Hebrew taxonomy approached the division of animals differently than we do in the modern day – rather than classifying them as mammals, reptiles, avians, etc. they classified them based on habitat and usage.
VI: Adam and Eve
Adam is represented by a simple, but sincere, melody in the French Horn. He begins life alone, wandering as a lone man. The animals are brought to him so that he can name them, but they are not the companionship he seeks. He is put to sleep, and when he awakens he suddenly sees Eve.
Eve is represented by an ornate and delicate melody in the Flute. Although she is similar to Adam in many ways (using the same scale), she is a distinct individual with different desires and priorities. Her role as a mother and helpmeet is foreshadowed in the women’s choir.
Adam and Eve’s melodies then join together, but with marked changes in each as they seek to become more compatible and united – Adam represented by unison brass, and Eve by unison woodwinds. Their eventual roles as the parents of humanity are foreshadowed by a musical climax, which then fades away as they return to their present life in the Garden. The solo Flute and French Horn finish the movement on a unison C, representing the one-ness they have with each other.
VII: Sabbath
After the previous six days of creation, God rests and sanctifies the seventh day. This movement takes a different approach from the other movements in that it seeks to make this story from the beginning of creation relevant to the modern day. Each verse contains text that moves forward in time, beginning with Genesis and ending with the modern dispensation.
This movement is most explicitly tied to my personal faith and the many religious traditions that have shaped it. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I hold dear the words of prophets both ancient and modern, and sought to portray that reverence in how I adapted each text.
This movement ends with a coda, where the completed work of creation is reflected upon and God says, “it is good” seven times, once for each day. The piece then finishes with a unison C, ending the entire piece in the same way it began.
Premiered
April 30, 2026
Boston University, conducted by Jacob M. Whitchurch