Locomotion is an orchestral rendition of Ang Tren (The Train) – a choral piece I wrote in 2015.

Ang Tren is a setting of Filipino literary giant José Corazón de Jesús’ poem about Philippine commuter culture. The piece is high energy, playful, and uses a lot of textures that imitate the chug, drive, and forward momentum of a railroad train. A lot of the colors that are chosen reflect the innate sound world of ethnic Filipino instruments– from the crisp sounds of wood/bamboo percussion, to the shimmer of tuned gong instruments from a kulintang ensemble.

The piece ends with a more relaxed, expressive energy, reflecting Corazón de Jesús’ poetry. His original poem ends with the imagery of a loved one aboard the train, waving goodbye, as they head off into the horizon like a distant, fading memory.

The original choral piece was commissioned by the Cultural Center of the Philippines for the 2015 Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival. This orchestral rendition is written for the Orquestra Filarmónica Portuguesa – Osvaldo Ferreira, conductor.