Victor Hugo once said in his famous book Les Misérables, “Not being heard is no reason for silence." This quote serves as a catalase for the overarching meaning and message in Rancor and Triumph. The need to have one’s voice heard and understood amid emotional hardship, regardless of the genesis of said hardship, is a universal need of humanity. The need to be understood is a human desire and inescapable trait we all inherit.

Rancor and Triumph is a work for solo cello and orchestra that exhibits the emotional impact felt, in part, on the individual and on society when the voice of the people is not heard. The solo cello acts as the voice of the unheard, underrepresented, marginalized, and confused person, accompanied by the orchestra. It is an acknowledgement of the hurt, pain, and rage felt towards the present as well as a prayer for the hope of the future.

Rancor and Triumph: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra - Excerpt 2

Jessica T. Carter (b. 1992) is a composer, performer (violinist & mezzo-soprano), and educator from Indiana described as evocative and lyrical by Aspire Magazine and Apricity Magazine, respectively, who is swiftly making a name for herself. Specializing in concert music, film scoring, and musical theatre, Jessica's aim and goal in music is to intersect the relationship between vitriol and compassion through empathy, highlighting the lives marginalized children while deepening the universal understanding of the marginalized adult through sonic engagement that extends to the narrative of human nature through the message of hope.