— Unspoken Water
At this time of writing, “Unspoken Water” is a stand alone work-in-progress for small
orchestra. The concept of unspoken water comes from Scottish folklore. It refers to water
collected from under a bridge, over which the dead and under which the living pass. Most
importantly, during the act of getting the water, the one who fetches it must remain silent and
speak to no one. This ritual was thought to give the water healing properties and its use to avert
the evil eye. I thought this was an interesting idea because this is a magic which works not
through incantation but through silence. I invite the listener to contemplate the question; are our
intentions most powerful and pure when they are not verbalized?
Jeff Ives’ music has been described as a sound world full of delicious melodies and
harmonies, as well as infectious rhythms. His characteristic harmonies are unique to his style,
but never jarring or discordant. Lyrical lines with hints of jazz and eastern European folk
interweave above a complex rhythmic bed. Each voice is distinctive and equally important to
the whole.
— Jeff Ives (b.1969 - )
Since moving to Northern California in 2000, Jeff has found a rich and welcoming musical home with the
area’s community orchestras. He plays principal viola in the Symphony of the Redwoods and the Ukiah
Symphony. He has also enjoyed playing violin or viola for a variety of local chamber music concerts and
musical theater productions over the years.
A native of Connecticut, he studied violin at the Hartt School of Music with members of the Hartford
Symphony, and later at the New England Conservatory with James Buswell. In 1991, he earned a BA in
Music and English Lit from Tufts University, where he studied composition with T.J. Anderson and John
MacDonald.
Also, during his time in the Boston area, Jeff played with an ensemble specializing in the folk music of
eastern Europe and the Balkans. He later took up the viola and developed an interest in electronic
music and the recording arts.
An avid composer since beginning his musical training, Jeff has written many pieces of chamber music
for various combinations, as well as works for full orchestra. In recent years, several of these have seen
premieres in the area; including the Clarinet Quintet 2019, a Sextet for Strings, and the orchestral tone
poems Ma Maistresse and Medea.
