of thee I Sing

PROGRAM NOTE

This commission from the Oklahoma City Philharmonic is the most serious commission I have ever received. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombings – in the city where it happened, being performed in front of those who witnessed it - gave me a reason to pause. Indeed, it took me weeks and weeks before I could even start.

Maestro Mickelthwate played a large role in shaping this work. He described his vision of this piece in an email he sent me in November of 2018:

“The idea would be a 20-25 min piece for orchestra and chorus that transcends the atrocity and focuses on all the good that came out of it in the last 25 years. A city growing together. But also transcending death. To the point where in this bizarre world music actually unifies and makes the listener step out of the crazy into a spiritual sphere. Where the spiritual becomes reality and the other just a dream.”

I took his suggestion seriously.

Not only did I wish to write a piece that ends ethereally, bringing us all into a world of calm and dreams, I wanted to do so with every means available to me. To me, the song “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” is so profound, so simple and so cogent. It has been used by great American leaders to strengthen the country in dark times, to give hope and direction. I decided that my composition be entirely based on this song.

Of Thee I Sing, is in four parts. The first part is fast and agitated. The orchestra begins loudly and in a dark color with constantly changing rhythms as if crying out in pain. The initial angst subsides and shifts to new themes. This first section ends in fortissimo orchestral “hits.” After a brief pause, the slow, lyrical second section begins. Though disguised, fragments of My Country ‘Tis of Thee can be heard. An even more agitated and kinetic fast section follows as the third section (and if one listens very carefully, they will find more hidden references to My Country ‘Tis of Thee). But the fourth section is the true goal of the entire work. Introduced by glowing, soft strings, the choir finally enters, hushed, and singing My Country ‘Tis of Thee, in its original melody and harmony. The orchestra and choir then commence a slow crescendo, trading off themes and ideas until the orchestra burst out in exhalation with resounding trumpets and the choir singing at the top of their ranges. With one last refrain of My Country ‘Tis of Thee, the music then subsides and the strings sustain peaceful chords taking us to a serene and hopeful place.