DURATION: Approximately 8 minutes

This single-movement work was inspired by an article from a 1910 edition of the National Geographic magazine, which describes in great detail a North Holland cheese market in the city of Alkmaar. Despite the whimsical nature of much the article and subject matter, author Hugh M. Smith takes the business of cheese-selling quite seriously in his writing. Looking back more than a century later, it was my goal to capture these intriguing tonal inconsistencies with music, moving from a vibrant and busy introduction into a surreal and contemplative conclusion. All text used in this piece was taken directly from the article, in chronological order. A complete version of the selected text can be found below:

Alkmaar

round yellow cheeses
in wagons,
carts,
canal-boats
bands of peasants
singing and skylarking

Fancy buying cheese under such romantic circumstances!

20,000 people
8 or 10 cheeses wide
30 to 50 long
six cheeses square
two layers deep
900 cheeses
one man
two cheeses at a time

The yellow balls fly in all directions

cheeses are thoroughly greased
fresh and inviting
a dish of oil and soft cloth in hand
liberally anoint every cheese
promiscuous conversation

Cheese becomes the SOLE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION

the whole field burst into a golden bloom
much sparring
and bargaining
cheeses are
felt,
smelt,
and tasted

removal of the cheeses
the price of cheese
striking hands
carrying
heaping loads of cheese

The market exists
only as a memory