It is hard to tell if the increase in news coverage of the recent events happening to Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China has had anything to do with this, but over the last several months, I have been experiencing involuntary flashes of remembrance of the time my family and I stayed in Ürümqi, the capital of Xinjiang, many years ago. Interestingly enough, with each recollection I had, my nostalgic feelings gradually developed into a desire to write a piece of music associated with the place as I remembered it. What I found particularly intriguing about these echoes of past experiences is that, despite the fact that my visit to Xinjiang had taken place almost two decades ago, I could still vividly recall the distinct vibes felt off of that place. Vibes are an incredibly difficult thing to describe with words, so I was curious to see how that could be translated into music. This 8-minute piece written for brass quintet offers my perspective of Ürümqi, a bustling oasis in the midst of vast terrains of hostile and uninhabitable deserts, grasslands, salt lakes, and mountain ranges… 
 
Meilina Tsui
2019