Pastel sunlight moves through the trees as a solo violin floats above a wall of sound. Pale yellow, peach, rose, lilac, and violet pass from right to left as we move through the forest, always looking for the sun. The music moves from reflective and glassy, a melody slowly emerging, to more active; a new theme moves through the quintet of violins, viola, and cellos, arriving to a hushed reverence.
To Whom I Pray by Quenton Blache is a collaboration between the composer, Sean David Christensen of Palmaire Music, and animator Shi Rou Huang. Blache was approached by Christensen in 2022 to write a piece paired with an original work of hand-drawn animation.
Several sources of inspiration fed Blache’s work: light, warmth and devotion, Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940), and the love between a mother and child. Huang’s choice of a journey through the forest, face turned towards sunlight, aligned beautifully with Blache’s aural and emotional vision. Blache, along with fellow cellist Ismael Guerrero, violist Drew Forde, and violinists Clayton Penrose-Whitmore and Wynton Grant, bring the work to life.
Here’s more from Blache about To Whom I Pray:
The work features an outcry of a calling at the beginning, followed by a hymn-like lullaby that leads into an “earthly” section, highlighting the dichotomy between the two worlds. I added subtle electronic pads in the sections that represent the spiritual world to create an atmospheric depth to the sound design. In the “earthly” section, I incorporated pizzicato and more rhythmic elements to portray a more grounded, natural experience here on earth. When writing this piece, there was something very spiritual I felt beyond the tangible, natural world. The title To Whom I Pray serves to capture that feeling of warmth and devotion — looking up to someone or something that brings comfort to one’s soul.
About Quenton Blache
Quenton Blache is a cellist and composer based in Los Angeles. He has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician and is a current member of the Sphinx Virtuosi. A frequent session cellist, he has played on the soundtracks for films including Moana 2 (2024) and Sinners (2025). At this year’s Grammy Awards, Blache performed with Best New Artist nominee Teddy Swims.
As a composer, Quenton has written works for the Little Orchestra Society, North Carolina Chamber Music Institute, MYCO and Sphinx Organization. Habari Gani (2023), his piece premiered by the Sphinx Virtuosi, has reached global audiences with orchestral performances in cities from Detroit to Bangkok. Quenton has also scored several films, including Shape of Money (2024) and The Gospel According to Bill Pannell (2024). In his spare time, he enjoys playing chess and aspires to become an International Master. Quenton plays on a modern cello made by Paris-based luthier Michael Fazio.
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