A Win For You - Michael Abels

To find my way into composing for Silkroad, I began by learning some of the history of the transcontinental railroad.  Despite the incredible engineering and nation-building achievement the railroad represented, the suffering and abuse of the laborers is a crucial part of the story.  Many other historic events have this kind of dual narrative: inspiration on one hand, exploitation on the other.  And yet, the most significant issues facing us today — regional wars, climate change — can only be solved through cooperation, by including everyone in the solution.  A resolution that works for the powerful also has to work for those most affected by it.

A Win For You is a study on that idea. It’s a song about achievement through cooperation (“A victory for me doesn’t come at your cost… a win for me doesn’t mean that you lost”) with verses, a bridge and a chorus.  In between these sections are instrumental interludes, meditations which also showcase some of the glorious sonorities possible through this wonderful array of Silkroad musicians and cultures.

The piece is hopeful, optimistic, and very rhythmic.  The final section is a “game” of rhythmic diminution: with every repeat of the chorus, one eighth note is removed from the time signature, which creates a sense of the music getting faster without actually speeding up.  This is meant to evoke the feeling one gets as an epic project nears completion.  But also it is a fun challenge for the performers, especially the percussionists.