2. Will o' the Wisp

Holy Spirit Episcopal Church

Gordon Balch Nevin (1892-1943) was an American composer, primarily living and working in western Pennsylvania. In folklore, a “will o’ the wisp” is a strange ghostly light often seen by travelers late at night and often has sinister implications. Modern science is more likely to explain it as bioluminescence or chemiluminescence – the famous “Marfa Lights” are a Texan will o’ the wisp. Nevin’s “musical confection”, as one writer described this piece, doesn’t threaten very much but it certainly does tease. (from 2017)