Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2001-01-01
- Album Name: North Texas Wind Symphony: Luminaries
Song Meaning (Interpretation) of “Ghost Train Triptych: II. At the Station” by Eric Whitacre
At the Station is the second movement of Eric Whitacre’s Ghost Train Triptych of 2001. This song conveys a picture of a vast, lonely train station in the still of the night. The sense of emptiness and desolation comes through in the hushed chords and sparse harmonies of the choir. One can almost feel the chill of the air as the train pulls up, its wispy steam and rumbling whistle creating a secondary melody to the piece. As the train arrives, all going to different destinations, we are reminded of how small and insignificant we can feel when confronted with the vastness of the night. The choir gradually builds in a crescendo, signifying the hope and possibility of the journey to come, before fading away again into the darkness. The loneliness and stillness of the station are finally broken by the reassuring roll of the departing train.