Lent

MIDI Excerpt

Instrumentation: Chamber orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, two horns, trumpet, bass trombone, four violins, two violas, two violoncellos, and double bass) and drum set

Duration: ca. 12 minutes

Year composed: 2013

Place composed: Costa Mesa, California

Program Notes: Lent is a musical journey through the Christian season of Lent, the 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. Lent is traditionally a season of fasting, penitence, and reflection; Alexander Schmemann described it as a period of “bright sadness.” The piece begins with frenzied rhythms in the drums and the orchestra, symbolizing the noise and chaos of everyday life, and moves into an oasis of rest as Lent begins, representing the peace that comes through self-reflection. A section of “walking music” follows, illustrating the journey through the season. The remainder of the piece alternates between times of rest, joy, and struggle, including quotes from three traditional Lenten hymns: “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross,” “What Wondrous Love Is This,” and “O Sacred Head Now Wounded.” It ends with a long held note in the double bass, fading to silence, left unresolved and still longing for the consummation of the Resurrection.