So it was I
This text is set in a landscape of conflict and beauty. Where the conflict lies – within the narrator’s being or as part of a landscape scarred by an actual current war, is left ambiguous, for, as Thomas Merton understood, all wars have their origin in individual human hearts. However, another keynote of this text is tenderness, towards the beauty of the damaged landscape, but also towards human lives damaged by our conflicts. The narrator meets a wounded young soldier, becoming his reluctant healer, welcoming him as a stranger, just as we pilgrims are on a journey to bring ourselves back from exile into a home in our own selves.
Peacebomb
Long after warplanes disappear, UXO (unexploded ordnance) remains hidden in the earth, leading to food insecurity and unnecessary suffering. From the collaborative team of award-winning composer Michael Bussewitz-Quarm and acclaimed poet Charles Anthony Silvestri, and in partnership with Mine Advisory Group and Article 22, comes an inspirational work honoring the casualties of war and the people who aspire to transform the wounded countryside, landmine by landmine, for decades to come.
Nigra Sum
Composed as a tribute to the victims of the global refugee crisis, this piece utilizes modern a cappella harmonies, cluster chords and chant-like melodies to create a gorgeous setting of the Latin text from the Song of Solomon. Extended divisi, particularly in the tenor part, creates tight harmonies that sparkle against the open chord structure established throughout.
I’ll Fly Away
I’ll Fly Away sings about the spirit of a loved one about to be set free from pain and suffering. Asymmetrical meter and a tenor-bass ostinato figure create a rhythmic base for the lilting melody presented in unison and canon that is optimistically focused on the future and the beauty of a shared past.
The Road Not Taken
The Road Not Taken is a unique musical interpretation of Robert Frost's poem. "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…" Large decisions in life are rarely simple. Such decisions are often complex with no perfect answer. The musical setting speaks to the joy of moving forward as well as the complexity of making the "right" decision.
My Name is Lamiya: Don't Call Me "Refugee"
This composition was written to bring attention to one of the most significant and challenging issues in our world today, the global refugee crisis. Nine-year-old Lamiya Safarova lost her home and her village, and she began writing poems to express her feelings. The stirring text and repeated rhythmic elements persist throughout this work, along with body percussion that represents the journey of the refugee, forced away from their home, most often by foot.