Song of the Heavens and Firmament

The thought of darkness in mankind and the possibility to overcome the feeling of hopelessness derives from the brutality placed on innocent Koreans, especially Korean young women called comfort women during the Japanese imperialism over Korea. Song of the heavens and firmament for piano trio was written in response to the inferiority that was felt during that time. The piece consists of three movements, each based on a Biblical scripture: Psalm 27:7, Psalm 19:1-4, and Isaiah 35:10.

I. Psalm 27:7
The piece begins by expressing lamentation about injustice and the darkness of man; hence, humankind must look forward to the help provided by the Savior in order to free itself of such sorrow.
II. Psalm 19:1-4
The development of the second movement explains how man must listen to the voice of nature with respect to the Creator. Man is also required to recover purity and honesty, which can be acquired from nature.
III. Isaiah 35:10
The final resolution is that man's sorrow and self-esteem will eventually flee from the soul. Therefore, one is able to obtain joy and happiness. This piece is dedicated to those who suffered from cruelty during the Japanese imperialism as well as those who sacrificed their lives to fight against injustice.

Song of the Heavens and Firmament was awarded Grand Prize in the 1993 Korean Broadcasting System Composition Competition and the 1994 Ye Eum Prize of Creation from the Ye Eum Culture Foundation. It was also selected for the 1997 ISCM World Music Days in Seoul and performed by the Continuum of New York at the festival.  In 2009, the Canadian Music Centre commanded attention by introducing this piece through its special project, “Influences of Many Musics”.