Composer Notes /Reviews/Performance History

Quiet Shadows – for solo instrument, written as my musical portrayal of a soldier alone on guard duty in Vietnam.

Guard duty began late in the afternoon while it was still daylight. I recall one particular duty that began as always; I arrived at my post and began inspecting my surroundings to become familiar with the jungle growth in front of the bunker, before darkness came.

However, this bunker was situated near a very strangely-shaped tree, which I immediately sensed would fool me later into mistaking it for an enemy soldier.  I tried to memorize its shape, but sure enough, when night fell, I was convinced that the tree trunk was my enemy.  My apprehension overcame me and I contemplated shooting up a flare to warn others, even though I realized that in fact, it was “That Tree.”  Rather than calming my fears, I thought about how much I missed home and continued to perceive other shapes as dangers in the darkness, which in the morning daylight proved only to be natural growths of nature in the jungle surroundings.

I felt rather foolish until I shared my experience with another soldier also on duty that night. He confessed to having had the same thoughts that I did about home and about what might be out there, in front of us.