Old and Lost Rivers

Driving east from Houston along Interstate 10, you will come to a high bridge which crosses many winding bayous. These bayous were left behind by the great wanderings, over time, of the Trinity River across the land. When it rains, the bayous fill with water and begin to flow. At other times-when it is dry-they evaporate and turn green in the sun. The two main bayous are called 'Old River' and 'Lost River'. Where they converge, a sign on the side of the highway reads: 'OId and Lost Rivers'.

In 1986 the state of Texas was engaged in a celebration of its sesqui-centenary. This event was to be marked by the commissioning of a series of concert openers for the Houston Symphony, of which I had just been appointed Composer in Residence. Though not a traditional fanfare, Old and Lost Rivers took its place in what came to be known as the 'Fanfare Project', alongside 20 other compositions from around the world.

I composed this piece in the spring of 1986 in Houston, as a tribute to my new home. Later that year, I made a piano version of the piece for Ursula Oppens and presented it to her as a birthday present. Tobias Picker