Frozen Over from Watershed by Cheryl E. Leonard

Frozen Over (2015) - Japanese bowl gongs, Nepalese bells, rocks, and shells; field recordings of Lower Cathedral Lake and Tenaya Lake in Yosemite National Park

During December 2011 and much of January 2012, exceptionally warm and dry weather made it possible to access areas of Yosemite’s high country that are normally reachable only via skis in winter. Highway 120 reopened through Tuolumne Meadows, and a friend informed me that the lakes up there were frozen, but bare of snow. Moreover, people were skating on the lakes, and the ice was making weird sounds. Intrigued, I made two trips to Tuolumne to gather the field recordings that became the foundation of Frozen Over. The winter of 2011-2012 was the beginning of a historic multi-year drought in California. I reflected on various facets of the drought as I composed this piece, especially shrinking winter snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada. The fact that such “anomalies” are becoming more and more frequent bodes ill for the future of California’s water supply.

In addition to CD quality audio and mp3, this piece is available as 44.1Khz 24 bit audio.

Cheryl E. Leonard is a composer, performer and instrument builder whose works investigate sounds, structures, and objects from the natural world. Her projects often feature one-of-a-kind sculptural instruments and field recordings from remote locales. She uses microphones to explore the subtle intricacies of sounds and develops compositions that highlight these unique voices.

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