Born
1952

World Premiere
August 12, 2022, The Baltimore Flute Choir at the National Flute Association Convention, Chicago IL.

Duration
7 Minutes

Program Notes
Written by composer

Throughout history, musicians and other artists have responded to tragic events in various ways. While major composers such as Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Penderecki, Britten and Karel Husa (one of my teachers) are among those who responded with major pieces, mine is quite modest by comparison. It's based mainly on Mykola Lysenko's "Prayer for Ukraine," a hymn hugely important to the Ukrainian people. There are also brief quotes from "Great Gate of Kyiv" from Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" and the Ukrainian counterpart to "Taps," the bugle call rendered at military funerals. There was a poignant moment at a recent multinational music festival in Hungary where there was a visible emotional response to the piece from the Ukrainian students (some of whom were in the orchestra and had to keep playing).

The first version was for trumpet and piano, followed by versions for other solo instruments and even one for flute choir. What you hear tonight is actually abridged from the original—basically the statement of the main theme and closing section with an 80-bar cut in the middle, yet it seems to work well this way. The solo part can be and has been done with either trumpet, English horn, or a combination.

The work is being made freely available in its various forms with the request that, in lieu of any charge or purchase price, donations be made to an appropriate charity or agency of one's choice for Ukrainian relief.