Tell es-Sakan (Hill of Ash) for String Quartet and Percussion

Motivated by the current war in Gaza, Tell es-Sakan (Hill of Ash) is a concert length, protest, pacifist piece, named after one of the oldest known settlements in the area, dated to 3500 B.C.E. Written for string quartet and percussion, it follows on one side a couple that meets, falls in love, vows trust to each other, and on the other the War Machine, an ominous presence that eventually takes over in a fury of destruction. The music is multifaceted, divided into nine movements, some of which are exuberant and joyful, and some of which are strident, strange, and violent. It comes from a place of deep sorrow and yearning for a better human future.