* This is a midi file-- this piece was completed in 2022, and has not yet received a premiere performance.*

"Hymn", a work for solo cello and orchestra in three movements, takes its inspiration from a variety of sources. The first movement, "The Sun", was inspired by a poem of the same name, by Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004). The poem opens with:

“All colours come from the sun. And it does not have Any particular colour, for it contains them all...”

This ties into the idea of exploring the classical Hindustani Raag Des. The piece begins from a fixed central point (much like the idea of an alap introduction in classical Indian music)—one unison pitch, here carried by the string section— gradually melting into various other orchestral colours—then, radiating outward from its unison beginnings, to explore a full range of the orchestral palette.

The second movement, "Hymn", was inspired by another poem by Czeslaw Milosz:

“There is no one between you and me.
Neither a plant drawing sap from the depths of earth
Nor an animal, nor a man, nor wind walking between the clouds.
The most beautiful bodies are like transparent glass.
The most powerful flames like water washing the tired feet of travelers. The greenest trees like lead blooming in the thick of the night.
Love is sand swallowed by parched lips.”

This movement takes its inspiration from a melodic fragment of a hymn, "Oh, Love, How Deep", attributed to 14th century monk, Thomas à Kempis. The music grows from these pure, austere beginnings into something warm and passionate.

This leads into the third movement, "Light", inspired by a poem of the same name— written by 14th century Persian poet, Shamsedin-Mohamed Hafez Shirazi. This movement explores some playful rhythmic patterns, and cascading scales, contrasted against steady supporting long tones.

“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness The astonishing light of your own being!
...One regret, dear world, that I am determined not to have Is that I did not kiss you enough.
Look what happens with a love like that-- It lights the whole sky.”

Hymn - Cello Concerto (midi file)

Premiere performance: March 6, 2008, Maryem Hassan-Tollar, alto. Rufus Mueller, tenor. The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Choir under the direction of Ivars Taurins. Trinity United Church. Toronto, Canada.

The Texts:

1. Shalom-Salaam
 
I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

As a lily among thorns, so is my love among young women.

As an apricot  tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among young men.
 
My beloved spake, and said unto me,

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
 
My beloved spake, and said unto me,
 
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, 
and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land again (repeat). 

Salaam - Shalom: Give us peace (repeat).

From The Song Of Songs — 1. Salaam - Shalom

You can learn to play this piece. FREE scores and parts, among other materials, are available online: kronosquartet.org/fifty-for-the-future

Composed by Kala Ramnath on violin, arranged for string quartet by Reena Esmail 
© 2016 Inner Sunset Publishing
℗ 2016 Kronos Performing Arts Association
Commissioned for Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire

Produced by Kronos Quartet
Recorded July 2016 at Studio Trilogy, San Francisco, CA
Engineered and mixed by Laura Dean
Assistant Engineer: Alex Spencer
Production Assistant: Minna Choi
Mixed at Women's Audio Mission, San Francisco, CA
Assistant Mixing Engineers: Monica Bonilla, Ripley Young, Becca High, Victoria Fajardo, Hannah Valente and Victoria Fajardo

Amrit

Kala Ramnath - Amrit

This track was recorded from a youth penitentiary in the Greater Vancouver Regional District and shared with consent and permission.

Librarium's Album

Music For the People ft. BYCS Youth (Version 1.0)

Salvatore Sciarrino's first work for solo flute, All'aure in una lontananza (1977), performed on alto flute by Mark Takeshi McGregor. Performed live on 14 September 2016 at the International Symposium of New Music 2016 in Curitiba, Brazil. Presented by the Grupo de Pesquisa Núcleo Música Nova.

Salvatore Sciarrino: All'aure in una lontananza

First piece from a set of short piano pieces for intermediate players.  Explores syncopation and rhythms found in reggae music.

A little Reggae Music

Re-imagining of Narvaez' "Cancion del Emperador."

AYRE II - Remixes

Elizabeth Knudson: You Dream In Beauty

Elizabeth Knudson is a nationally award-winning composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal & electroacoustic music, and an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre.  

For a more detailed bio: http://www.elizabethknudson.ca/bio/
To request purchase/rental/loan of sheet music, please visit the Canadian Music Centre website: https://cmccanada.org/composer/elizabeth-knudson/

Hymn - Cello Concerto (midi file)

Elizabeth Knudson

Related tracks