Marmoris (2024)

‘Marmoris’ is an ancient Latin word that means “the shimmering surface of the sea.”

Writing this piece in the months prior to the 2024 U.S. election, I found comfort in thinking about the world of the orchestra. Orchestras bring together musicians from all different backgrounds and perspectives to listen to each other, empathize, and cooperate in the creation of a shared human experience that transcends political, cultural, and ideological differences. The orchestra has often reminded me of an ocean in this way – a seemingly living, breathing thing consisting of myriad unique lifeforms pulsing, swaying, and churning in concert.

This piece reflects upon the forces in life that hold and enclose us, those vast similitudes that connect us and remind us we are a part of something much larger than our daily human struggles might allow us to perceive. 

-- Sarah Kirkland Snider