Crucifixus

It is the human voice, more than any other medium, which has attracted my greatest attention. Whether it be songs, vocal chamber works, works for voice and orchestra, or opera, the combination of texts, music, and drama has proved particularly fascinating. "Crucifixus" began as an experiment. It was to have been an exercise for balancing a solo voice against a medium-sized orchestra. ?Look on your Lord, Man? had first existed as the second movement of the now withdrawn work, "Salzburg Cantata" (1976) for soloists, chorus, and organ. Soprano Jennifer Ringo read through this movement with the Julliard Symphony in 1978. Subsequently, I decided to extend the single movement into a three-movement song cycle. The work, which is dedicated to the memory of my father, is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 percussionists, harp, and strings.