Amphibious

Program Notes

Amphibious takes its inspiration from the early work of Kate Bush, with its playful leaps, quirky harmonies, and whimsical tone. Like many of Kate Bush's songs, however, Amphibious contains dark lyrical themes that belie its effervescent surface. The text (written by the composer) references the Doctor Who episode "It Takes You Away," where the Doctor comes face to face with a sentient universe named the Solitract. Gripped with intense fascination and burning with desire for each other, the Doctor and the Solitract share a moment of wondered awe in each other's presence, but soon must part forever lest their meeting collapse both of their universes. While the music's exuberant tone captures the Doctor's childlike sense of wonder, its tentative oscillation between two keys hints at the emotional turmoil wrought by the tension between her responsibility to her own universe and her desire for the Solitract.

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