LAMENT
for String Orchestra
(1992)

Commissioned by:
The New Orchestra of Boston
David Epstein, Music Director

When your orchestra performs Lament . . .
     A $50 donation to Seeds of Peace, a non-profit, non-political organization that helps teenagers from regions of conflict learn the skills of making peace, will be made in your orchestra's name for each performance given for which I receive a royalty from A.S.C.A.P. (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers).  To ensure that A.S.C.A.P. has a record of your performance(s), please return to my website and fill out the online Performance Notification form linked to my home page (this notification costs you nothing).

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    Lament program Notes

Comments and Reviews

... an intensely lyrical and touching work... effective for a small or large group of strings... the climax represents a gripping emotional catharsis...

William Hudson, Music Director
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra

... a superlative composition, very satisfying to perform... evokes an ethereal, pious ambiance moving listeners to relate to the music with spiritual introspection... musicians performing the composition share this enigmatic feeling...

Hugo Vianello, Artistic Director and Conductor
Missouri Chamber Orchestra

... full, beautiful and truly original... absolutely spiritual... depth, intrigue and passion... the audience senses the magic immediately...

Joseph Giunta, Music Director
Des Moines Symphony Orchestra

... a lovely, meditative piece which carries much emotional power...

Kate Tamarkin, Music Director
Monterey Symphony Orchestra
East Texas Symphony Orchestra

... a beautifully written work that exploits the manifold qualities of the string orchestra, always to the end of controlled and eloquent expression...

David Epstein, Music Director
The New Orchestra of Boston

Program Notes

As its name suggests, LAMENT for string orchestra is not a lighthearted work. It is, rather, a meditation on the myriad emotional and spiritual challenges that daily confront us all. An opening lamentation gently beseeches, gives way to rising passions and swells into full and compelling grief. As the mood clears, a slim sense of hope surfaces, hovers tentatively, then transcends into the sublime. Once more, the spirit gathers strength and begins its journey toward renewal.

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