Scenes is organized in what I like to call "tableau" form -- a sequence of unrelated modules where recapitulation is irregular when it exists at all. Inthis particular piece, the boundaries between modules are gradual as one fades off into the distance and a new one is developed gesture by gesture. 

I liken the general effect to looking out the rear window of a car driving down an interstate highway and watching the different towns as you pass though them. First the outskirts, maybe a few houses, and then more and more signs of life, then the main streets and then, after a while, a thinning-out and a return to the empty stretch of road that links one town to the next. The title of the work and the subtitle "A Recessional Parade" are two attempts to describe this in a perhaps more succinct and poetic fashion. 

The dedication that makes up the remainder of the work's subtitle came along about halfway through the piece's preparation as I decided its completion would coincide with my friends' wedding. The finished work was presented on a CD as a wedding present; it was not intended, nor was it used, as music for the ceremonyitself. 

The correct volume level for this piece is moderate (not extremely low, as is thecase with many of my other recent works); when the alto voice enters at 1'22" it should be roughly as loud as someone speaking softly to you from a few feet away. I frequently enjoy this piece (at a slightly lower volume level) as falling-asleep music, and I invite you to do the same if you are so inclined.Pleasant dreams!