Where the Two Roads Cross
Program Note
On Saturday morning, the first of February, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia reentered the atmosphere high above the Pacific Ocean on its way to a planned landing in Florida. Its path would take it over San Francisco, past Sacramento, then across southern Nevada and northern Arizona and central New Mexico, passing the Texas line just northwest of Lubbock.
Around noon I headed to the Texas Tech baseball park so as to get there in time to catch the drills and warmups. As I pulled into the parking lot, the pre-game radio broadcast was interrupted by a news bulletin. The shuttle had disintegrated, all aboard lost. Two of the crew were from here, from this place, from this town. Though I don’t recall it, I’m sure there was a moment of silence just before the national anthem. What I clearly remember is how I tried to follow the game, but mostly just stared out over left field into the clear blue skies to the southeast, seeing in my mind’s eye the meteoric arc of the bright flashes left in the wake of Columbia’s final flight, as all the while, over and over, the words of Black Elk ran through my head, the words with which the Sioux medicine man began the last prayer of his life: Dear God, you have caused the Good Road to cross the Road of Difficulties; and where they cross, that place is holy.
Program note by Andy Wilkinson.
Notable Performances
Premiere Performance by The Pittsburgh Camerata
Mark A. Anderson, artistic director
Video Score
Text
WHERE THE TWO ROADS CROSS
by Andy Wilkinson
for the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia
When night is done
And day has yet to come,
Before the sun
Rises inside us;
Let not despair
Trouble our darkened hearts
These morning stars
They burn to guide us.
For now our God
Has caused the Good Great Road
To cross the Road
Of Difficulties;
And, where they cross,
Oh, where the two roads cross,
That place is holy.
In these black times,
There yet remains design
That is divine,
The one true story
That leads our hearts
When crossing is so hard;
We will be stars
That burn in glory.
For now our God
Has caused the Good Great Road
To cross the Road
Of Difficulties;
And, where they cross,
Oh, where the two roads cross,
That place is holy.
About Andy
Andy Wilkinson is a poet, song writer, singer, playwright, and visual artist whose particular interest is the history and peoples of the Great Plains. He has recorded a dozen albums of original music and has written seven plays. In addition to magazine articles and chapters in various non-fiction books, he has written four monographs: “A Family of the Land: the Texas Photography of Guy Gillette” (University of Oklahoma Press, 2013); “Storyline” (Dry Crik Press, 2017); “Surprise, Texas” (a novel, Zenchilada Press, 2018); “Mystery Mechanics: the Creative Process” (Zenchilada Press, 2020); “Llanero: a boyhood on the 360-of-180” (a memoir, Zenchilada Press, 2021); and “Raw + Ripe, Collected Poems 1965-2023” (Zenchilada Press, 2023). He has been recognized with several awards, among them the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk Contest (1985), the Texas Historical Foundation’s John Ben Shepperd Jr. Craftsmanship Award, and seven National Western Heritage Wrangler Awards in five different categories. His visual art works are principally done in gouache, pencil, or pastel. Since 2001, he has been affiliated with Texas Tech University, having served as Artist in Residence at the Southwest Collection, as an instructor in songwriting in the School of Music, and as a teacher in the Honors College. Retired from his regular duties with the University, he continues to teach.
Dedication
For the Pittsburgh Camerata, Mark A. Anderson, artistic director
Premiere
Where the Two Roads Cross premiered on February 9, 2025 at Shadyside Presbyterian Church (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) performed by the Pittsburgh Camerata conducted by Mark A. Anderson.
View program here.
Publisher
Markowski Creative (ASCAP)
Instrumentation
SATB choir (with divisi)
Piano
Soprano saxophone
Errata
No known errata.
Year Completed
2025