How many lights are there?

Organ, 4’ 15” (2022)

An unexpected number of my pieces have been inspired in some way by film and television. This piece falls under that umbrella. Throughout the pandemic in particular, Star Trek series have been a comfort to me, and I admire their thoughtful dealings with philosophical, moral, political, and emotional issues.

This dark, contemplative piece for organ was inspired by a particularly striking episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which Captain Picard is captured and tortured for information that he does not have. Amongst other physical and mental torture techniques, the Cardassian officer repeatedly turns on a set of blinding bright lights, asking Picard “how many lights are there?” While there are clearly four lights, each time the Cardassian insists there are five and threatens Picard with further torture if he does not agree. By the end of the episode Picard is rescued, but later admits that by the end of his ordeal, he was convinced he could see five lights. While many television shows have used torture as a plot device before and since, they often present it as a moral dilemma that a character in power must face – does the ends of retrieving information justify the means? However, this episode arguably paints a more realistic and informed picture, as torture has been proven to be an unreliable interrogation technique in addition to a moral atrocity. No new information is learned; the only result is trauma and shame.

This piece puts a brooding chord progression and melody through cycles of playing with rhythmic divisions of four and five. It attempts to reach a new key center, but ultimately it fails.

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