"Remember" Finalist in Ithaca Choral Composition Contest

Attending the Ithaca College Choral Composition Festival last Saturday as a finalist was a wonderful experience.  The day was largely spent sitting in on concerts from the collegiate and visiting high school choirs and getting to know the other composers of diverse backgrounds and ages.  I am incredibly thankful to the East Lyme High School Chorus and their director, Anthony Maiese, for all the work and heart they invested in the piece I wrote, "Remember."  
Our group reflection on the text prior to their performance was a true heart-to-heart, and I think the sharing of insight about the meaning of Rossetti's text was illuminating for us all.  The key word that was brought into the discussion that did not make itself apparent to me when I was setting it was "selflessness."  The shift of the narrator from asking to be remembered to granting the reader the (clearly impossible) option the chance to "forget and smile" is a great act of love.  
It was incredibly encouraging as a composer to see a thriving program, led by Janet Galván, that connects creators with performers and educators.  These collaborations are what keep us all connected and make art a living process rooted in earth.