The longleaf pines that are the central character in Ben Morris’s multimedia work Longleaf.

Their resilience to fire and ability to grow stronger and faster following those fires make them an apt metaphor for the resiliency of Houstonians as they build back stronger from severe weather events, whether those events come in the form of hurricanes, tropical storms, or an unexpected derecho.

We first premiered the work in Nacogdoches, surrounded by the longleaf ecosystem, which was a powerful experience in many ways. As part of the project, we had the honor of working with student composers and instrumentalists at Stephen F. Austin University through masterclasses, recordings, and workshops. We were also in dialogue with Shawn Benedict from the Nature Conservancy and Ben Morris in a post-concert conversation with the audience, and Shawn graciously took concertgoers and members of Loop38 into the Nature Conservancy’s Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary following performances in both Nacogdoches and Houston.

For those of us that live in the urban environment of Houston, the forests of East Texas may feel distant, but after hearing about the inspiration from composer Ben Morris and working alongside Shawn Benedict, we soon realized that Houston has its roots deep in the same ecosystem. Within days of returning to Houston from Nacogdoches, the Longleaf pines, Carolina Chickadees, and Eastern Towhees suddenly appeared right there in our neighborhoods, as if to thank us for noticing them after living just under our noses for so long!

Whether you were there in person with us for a performance and want to relive the experience or if you’ve never experienced Longleaf and don’t quite know what to expect, we hope that you take the time to listen and watch the full video, and keep an eye out for any future performances! We hope seeing the story of the longleaf pine forest unfold is a memorable experience that inspires a deeper connection with our environment and builds important conversation in our community.

A note from the composer

The longleaf pine forest is an ecosystem that was once spread throughout ninety million acres of the American Southeast including rural East Texas. Now, only five million acres remain, with under fifty thousand in Texas. It is a delicate ecosystem that must be maintained with frequent fires that clear out other species and create an open, majestic savannah habitat home to endangered species including the red cockaded woodpecker.

Commissioned by Houston-based ensemble Loop38, this piece tells the story of this unparalleled tree: its flourishing through natural and indigenous manmade fires, its use to make turpentine during the early settlement days, its widespread destruction at the hands of the lumber barons and sawmills of the early 20th century, and its rebirth with the advent of responsible forestry and prescribed fires. The piece weaves together a tapestry of virtuosic brass features, ambisonic field recordings captured in longleaf forests, videos of longleaf habitats, found sounds, and historical photographs and videos from the East Texas Digital Archive, the Texas Archive of the Moving Image, and The National Archives.

—Ben Morris

Check out more of Ben’s music at his website!

Support for Longleaf

We are grateful for a wide support for this project, including funding from the Loop38 community of supporters and the following governmental agencies and foundations:

Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the states arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Additional support from the Texas Commission on the Arts, The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Stephen F. Austin State University Cole Fine Arts Faculty Excellence and School of Music Professional Development Grants, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.