November 3rd
"November 3rd, for bass and piano, composed by Mara Gibson, is a fascinating piece that skirts the outer limits of both bass and piano extended techniques. The bassist is required to bow specific areas of the tailpiece and the sides of the instrument. The pianist is required to pluck and scratch the piano strings as well as play a variety of clusters. Gibson uses these sounds, as well as conventional means of playing the instruments, to create a spacious, ethereal work with deliberate pacing. The piece builds continually in intensity to the end and yet retains its bold slow moving gestures, never succumbing to a feeling of frantic energy. This is the perfect piece for those looking for new works that experiement with alternaive sounds and find an effective way to give those voices meaning."

Bass World; The Journal of the International Society of Bassists; "The Latest Score; 2002 ISB Composition Competition," Hans Sturm, editor, volume 26, number 3, pp. 61-62. Permission for reprint granted by Madeline Crouch.

November 3rd was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2002 ISB Composition Competition.