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.
The Silver Swan
This work was composed in honor of all who struggle with the ravages of war and face an ongoing battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. It is dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Joseph Dwyer, a native Long Islander, who lost his battle with PTSD following his tour of duty as a medic in Iraq. The sung text is based on text attributed to 17th-century composer Orlando Gibbons, reminding us that swans sing only just before their death.
Lamiya’s Song
Lamiya's Song is written to bring attention to one of the most significant and challenging issues in our world today, the global refugee crisis. Lamiya Safarova lost her home and her village to the Nagorno-Karabakh War when she was only nine, eventually settling with her family in a cardboard shack on the shore of the Caspian Sea. She began writing poems to express her feelings. The loss of her home and her village had a profound impact on Lamiya. And so did being classified as a "refugee" by her classmates in school. Lamiya has a name, and her poem gives her a voice.
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.
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.