Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Small Stone Figure begins with a fragment of a hymn by Saint Kassiani, a ninth-century Byzantine abbess. This fragment, altered chromatically and rhythmically, reflects themes of distress, transformation, and hope. Kassiani, although rejected in her time, created art that endured across centuries. This was Höstman’s inspiration as she uses this work to convey strength and hope to military survivors.
The title of the piece stems from the story of a small stone figure discovered near the composer’s childhood home in Bella Coola, BC. The figure, retrieved from the sea, symbolizes vulnerability and renewal. In the words of the composer: “My composition imagines this casting of the stone figure into the sea via Kassiani’s hymn fragment. To me, it feels like a dark and turbulent act, perhaps born of desperation or a sense of hopelessness. But we also know that in the end, this figure will be found; She will come out of the water and live again.”
Commissioned by the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy in response to the CAF-DND Sexual Misconduct Class Action, this work is dedicated to all survivors of sexual trauma in the military. It premiered on February 10, 2023, performed by the Naden Band of the RCN and the University of Victoria Wind Symphony, under the direction of Captain Catherine Norris, the Commanding Officer of the Central Band.
Small Stone Figure begins with a fragment of a hymn by Saint Kassiani, a ninth-century Byzantine abbess. This fragment, altered chromatically and rhythmically, reflects themes of distress, transformation, and hope. Kassiani, although rejected in her time, created art that endured across centuries. This was Höstman’s inspiration as she uses this work to convey strength and hope to military survivors.
The title of the piece stems from the story of a small stone figure discovered near the composer’s childhood home in Bella Coola, BC. The figure, retrieved from the sea, symbolizes vulnerability and renewal. In the words of the composer: “My composition imagines this casting of the stone figure into the sea via Kassiani’s hymn fragment. To me, it feels like a dark and turbulent act, perhaps born of desperation or a sense of hopelessness. But we also know that in the end, this figure will be found; She will come out of the water and live again.”
Commissioned by the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy in response to the CAF-DND Sexual Misconduct Class Action, this work is dedicated to all survivors of sexual trauma in the military. It premiered on February 10, 2023, performed by the Naden Band of the RCN and the University of Victoria Wind Symphony, under the direction of Captain Catherine Norris, the Commanding Officer of the Central Band.
