Prayer (chamber)
Work Overview
Viola and piano
Originally commissioned by CBC Music in collaboration with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Premiere: First performance led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin with 35 musicians representing 26 orchestras across Canada (June 22, 2020)
Program Note
Prayer is, in essence, an aberration, for under no other circumstance in the past (or probably in the future) have I worn my heart on my sleeve as transparently as I have with this piece. In times of crisis and peril, we have but the reliance of faith - from the profound faith in humanity, faith in love, and faith that we will persevere and get through this with dignity, to the mundane faith that I would complete the piece within the extraordinary conditions that faced me, with a young child at home 24/7, a bronchial infection, and a very tight timeline (ultimately, a matter of days) to complete the piece in a manner feasible for COVID remote performance requirements. In the end, I chose a chant from my composer heroine Hildegard von Bingen as inspiration for my prayer. It goes:
O Shepherd of our souls, O primal voice, whose call created all of us; Now hear our plea to thee, to thee, and deign to free us from our miseries and feebleness.
I wish to thank my family - my husband, parents, and son - as well as my neighbors, the Lees, who have all made composing this piece possible.
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Artists are welcome to contribute any errors or notes for this work on our collaborative errata list.
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