Bright Elegy —2016

PROGRAM NOTES: BRIGHT ELEGY

When Jim Freeman commissioned me to write a work for Chamber Orchestra First Editions, I immediately thought of composing something to honor my mother, who had passed away earlier in the year. Her departure invited me to reflect on what we pass on from generation to generation, and how we might choose to keep the best qualities of our loved ones alive in our everyday words and actions. My mother was a brilliant woman with a vibrant personality, ultimately taken away by Alzheimer’s Disease. This music, which is based on a Sicilian lullaby, reflects both the profound loss and the sense of purpose I felt in the wake of her passing. She was my star, and her radiant spirit will always burn brightly within me. Bright Elegy was premiered in 2017 by Chamber Orchestra First Editions, James Freeman, music director