Afterlife

1982, orchestra (2,2,2,2, 4,2,3 hp, perc, str) and soloist (on original instruments), composer, 29'

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"Afterlife pulled us through Cope's imagined rites of passage, exploring the realms of nonlinear time. The work began with a single line in the strings which was reiterated and stretched by the different phasing of the parts. The lines evolved in a circular collision developing a sense of perpetual movement and gradual unfolding. Perhaps the most unique quality of Cope's invention [new instrument] is its versatility; housed within a hollowedout log is a nail harp, a panpipe set, a voice resonator and a drum. The music was heightened theatrically by Cope's realization as he bent over his log and voice muffled, dislocated calls of life past. The music infused a wide vernacular of musical styles, which were successfully integrated within Cope's intense treatment."

--Philip Collins, Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 11, 1983