10:30 AM
Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Travertine Nature Center
1504 NE Perimeter Road
Sulphur, OK 73086

World Premiere performance of Overland by Heather Ellis Koehn

Overland reflects upon the rich history of a path shaped by time, memory, and movement. Inspired by the Oklahoma segment of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, the piece traces the evolution of a single path across changing eras.

The fixed electronic track unfolds as a sequence of sonic environments: footsteps in the present, the natural landscape of wind and birds, the gradual emergence of human activity through horses and wagons, and finally the distant arrival of the train—marking the obsolescence of the trail as a primary connection between America’s East and West.

The solo oboe represents a lone traveler moving through this landscape, reminiscing upon its past and listening to the echoes of those who have previously taken this journey. Its musical language emerges from breath and air, gradually forming fragments of melody that expand and dissolve, as if the memories are fleeting and imperfect.

Rather than depicting a literal journey, Overland explores how place holds memory and how traces of what once was remain embedded in the present—audible only to those who pause to listen.

Please feel free to bring a lawn chair or stand throughout the 30-40 minute program.

Additional information about the National Park Project can be found at:
www.susanmiranda.com/nationalparkproject