This piece began as a compositional exercise where I would concentrate on a single musical interval, originally major seventh. I derived several melodic ideas from this and eventually went on to incorporate the inversion of this interval, a minor second, as another element of the melody. Further expanding, I included intervals that were seven semitones apart or a fifth. By this time I had the theme for this piece, a slow halting melody in 7/8 time and decided to create a fantasia on that theme. In the contrasting section I focus on minor sevenths and major seconds and eventually expand to the use of minor ninths, an even more haunting interval. The bulk of the composition was written while sitting indoors on a rainy, gloomy autumn afternoon, hence the title, which, by pure happy accident, is seven words long.
This is from a recording that I commissioned in the summer of 2008. The performers are Laura Kaufman, flute, Jon Salter, clarinet in b flat, Jesse Welborn, bass clarinet in b flat, Lisa Gattuso, violin I, Megan Morris, violin II, Christen Blanton, viola, Michael Way, cello.