
2012 / Vocal & Electronic
DURATION
11 minutes, 1 secondINSTRUMENTATION
voice, synthesizer, marimba, double bass, percussionTEXT
Lisa Horvat
- As Powder Falls The Frank Horvat Band - Frank Horvat (keys), Felicity Williams (vocals), Michael Davidson (marimba), Joseph Phillips (bass), Jean Martin (percussion) 11:01
Programme Notes
I wrote As Powder Falls after discovering an old notebook that contained angst-filled poetry written by my now-wife, Lisa, when she was a teenager. The words really stood out to me as something that would work well in a musical context. This is one of many poems I used when writing my two band albums, I Can See You and Strange Machine.
This piece is about my vision of what Lisa’s life was like as a child before we ever met. The two main sources of inspiration are the words of the poem itself, along with the various first-hand accounts she has shared with me over the years that have stayed with me.
The various spoken phrases symbolize the conformity that, as children, we’re all expected to adhere to. Other phrases, like “You’re going to be okay, kid,” represent me talking to Lisa from the future, reassuring her that we would soon be together. Certain sound effects related to everyday life evoke painful memories and episodes from Lisa’s childhood.
At its core, the piece is about feeling isolated and alone as a child, yearning for something more, with the hope that fulfillment and happiness will come once one becomes an adult.
Compositionally, I was intrigued by the idea of creating a “pop” piece with an extended duration, with parts gradually layering in and out. My goal in doing this was to create as reflective and surreal a state as possible.
– Frank Horvat
Lyrics
As powder falls
As glass is broken
It’s a home I’m looking for
A happy, happy home
This crummy ol’ town
Will get me nowhere
But a meal to eat
And a place to lay my head
This crummy ol’ town
Will get me nowhere
But a meal to eat
And a place to lay

RECORDING
I Can See You
The Frank Horvat Band
Frank Horvat (keys), Felicity Williams (vocals), Michael Davidson (marimba), Joseph Phillips (bass), Jean Martin (percussion)
Producers: Frank Horvat, Jean Martin
PERFORMANCES
World Premiere
January 21, 2014
The Frank Horvat Band
I Can See You CD Release
Creatures:Collective Gallery
Toronto, Canada
January 31, 2014 (8am); January 31, 2014 (midnight); February 15, 2014 (3pm); February 15, 2014 (9pm)
The Frank Horvat Band
Creatures:Collective Gallery
Toronto, Canada