PROGRAM NOTES

Desert Transport contemplates the dynamic Arizona landscape from the high-flying perspective of a helicopter. The journey begins in the hubbub of an airport hangar but ultimately takes us the mystic heights of an Indian cliff dwelling, and it was inspired by a trip organized by the Arizona Music Festival (who commissioned the work).

With music director Robert Moody , a dear friend who has brought much of my music to life, I climbed aboard a jet-black helicopter piloted by Bob Dengler and was soon overwhelmed by the slow acceleration of the spinning rotors. Before long we were gliding high over Sky Ranch, an airport hidden amidst sorrel cacti, and marveled at the constantly-changing desert colors. Looming red rocks soon appeared on the horizon, and as we glided closer to Sedona, these became giants amid an entire landscape of rust-red orange.

The Sedonan spiritual power known as the Vortex carries us to our final stop: the thousand-year cliff dwellings called Montezuma Castle. Tunnels carved out of impossibly high rocks looked back at our helicopter like so many eyes. Dengler may have a hangar, but Montezuma has a castle in the sky — and it will persist long after our aircraft becomes scrap metal. Drifting amidst the orchestral clouds is a field recording of the Pima Indians (used by permission). Their gentle melody is picked up by the orchestra, and we head for home.