Lo!

Lo! contemplates a path towards peace amid tumultuous times. The year 2020 will be remembered primarily for its pandemic and the equally disheartening voices of confusion and contention that offer quick cures, people and nations to blame, compromised statistics, and other conspiracies. More intense feelings came from the death of George Floyd and subsequent protests including riots against police brutality and continued systemic and personal racism. All this heralds a controversial presidential election that has politicized these ongoing events. The music represents this noise with… noise. Old advertisements and game shows, moody string quartet music, and synthesizers create a whirlwind of grit and chaos.

In stark contrast, the year 2020 also marks a year of celebration for Latter-day Saints, the Bicentennial of the First Vision, during which God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to the prophet Joseph Smith. The 14-year old farm boy questioned the state of his soul and pled to the Lord concerning his salvation. He was saved from darkness because he had put faith in his Redeemer and acted upon it. In great noise we, like him, can find answers to prayers and feel peace. The trumpet music weaves hymn tune fragments as respite to the frenzied sounds. As the electronics give way to consonance, the trumpet performs over just-intoned electronics over a fundamental pitch, representing purity through a connection to heaven.

            This project was made possible through the groundwork done by the Prelinger Archives and the Internet Archive. Special thanks are also warranted to Erin Jossie for her help filming, and Erin and Michael Findley for their help editing and finessing the video component.