The Ice Seasons

Abstract

The Ice Seasons is a 25-minute composition that evokes the beauty and behaviour of sub-Arctic ice found on lakes around Yellowknife, Northwest Territo- ries. The composition contains material drawn from reading scientific literature, an- alyzing field recordings, and thinking deeply about personal experiences of lake ice. The instrumentation is SSAATB choir with a soprano soloist, string sextet (2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos), and recorded sound files. I derive pitch material from an- alyzing field recordings of ice sounds using spectral analysis, and building the re- sults into six-note symmetrical harmonies; I connect rhythmic activity to elemental rhythms in the ice by using controlled-aleatory and sound-mass textures; and, I set poems and texts that describe different states of the ice. The thesis comprises an introductory essay that describes the form, the pitch, rhythmic, textural, and sound file material, and includes an appendix with the complete performance score.