text by Chris Myers
Composed 2016. Duration: 3’15”
Commissioned by the Redlands Symphony
First performance: 16 April 2016. Redlands, California. Deborah Prutsman, vocalist. Redlands Symphony conducted by Co Nguyen.
Instrumentation
solo voice / 2.2.2.2 / 2.2.1.0 / timp.perc.hp / strings
Program Note
Redlands Symphony commissioned Valediction to honor the retirement of their music director, Jon Robertson, after 33 years of service. They asked for something that the audience could easily sing to him using only a lead sheet inserted in the program. To preserve the surprise, the piece would also only receive 15 minutes of rehearsal while Jon was distracted by some board members.
The result was this simple yet heartfelt anthem.