Andrew Robertson Mackereth

Enter the 7th Dimension

When I turned 61, a good friend told me that I was now entering my seventh decade of life! Once the initial shock of suddenly being just as old as the "old folks" had gradually worn off, I decided it was time for a piece that celebrates the number seven. *Enter the 7th Dimension* makes use of seventh chords, seven-bar phrases, and seven-note motifs in a variety of ways. The piece is entirely original, yet stylistically follows in the tradition of a forward-looking march—a journey into a new dimension. It could just as easily serve as the soundtrack to a blockbuster video game. In Christian and Jewish tradition, the number seven symbolizes divine perfection, completion, and creation. According to the Book of Genesis, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. This made the number seven a symbol of sacred rest and fulfillment. We also encounter this number in many other passages of the Bible, such as the seven days of creation, the seven seals, or the seven spirits. In music, the number seven is often considered angular and irregular. My challenge was to shape these characteristics into a coherent musical whole. *Enter the 7th Dimension* is the result.