Surfarara —2012

Surfarara was commissioned by Australian trumpeter Clint Allen for his debut album, collaborating with Dutch pianist/composer Martin Fondse, and the extraordinary Amsterdam-based Zapp 4 String Quartet.

Program Note

Surfarara is an arrangement of a Sicilian sulfur miner’s song, commissioned by trumpeter Clint Allen. The subtitle of the work is as follows: I forget, I have forgotten, I am forgotten, I have forgotten my own life…. which refers to the lyrics of the original song, printed below. This composition is dedicated to my mother and father, in honor of our Sicilian heritage.

I forget, I have forgotten, I am forgotten,

I have forgotten my own life.

I have forgotten the goodness of my mother,

She was sweeter, even better than you.

I have forgotten the goodness of my father,

Who crossed the ocean three times for me.

I have forgotten my friends and my brothers,

I forget the saints, but not you.