Ilhas

My father, a medievalist, professor and poet was born on the island of Madeira, part of the Portuguese archipelago off the coast of Morocco. The “island” or the “islands”, as I grew up, were always the subject of fantastic stories, tales, and adventures thus assuming a mythical and magical place in my childhood imagination. Visiting family on the islands was always a great occasion filled with traditions, rituals, and processions. After my father’s death, when reading some his last published and unpublished essays and poems, I was struck by how much his thoughts involved being an islander and how much those thoughts influenced his own work and legacy.

Ilhas (Islands) in five movements, is a set of reflections. the movements share harmonic material, gestural and sonic ideas just as different islands from the same archipelago would share many traits, although maintaining  their own distinctive identities. Each movement’s title is taken from my father’s last writings.

I. Da nossa voz (From Our Voice)

II. Os degraus da noite ( Steps of Night)

III. Horizonte Circular (Circular Horizon)

IV. Teias (Webs)

V. À minha frente só o mar e a estrela ( In Front of Me Only the Sea and the Star)

Ilhas is dedicated to my husband, Derek Bermel, whom my father proudly called his son.