Memorial

The Raymond W. Brock Commission for the 2003 American Choral Directors Association National Convention, Memorial is based on subject material which reflects the horrific events of September 11, 2001 in New York City. Though presented as one continuous movement, the composition follows a program that comprises four sub-sections: September Morning, The Attack, Prayers, and Petitions. The first two sections reflect the actual chain of events leading up to and including the attacks upon the World Trade Center Towers. The music of destruction, however, is kept to a minimum in favor of musical emphasis upon a possible spiritual response to these events. Healing, cleansing and hope are the main themes of the work, whose primary text of the final section is one verse from Psalm 80, "O God, shine your light on us, and we shall be saved." Although composed with the events of 9/11 in mind, nowhere does the text specifically mention 9/11 or the specific events of the day.