November Valedictory
Version for Orchestra
(1996)
Commissioned by the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death on November 22, 1963, “November Valedictory” quotes the Navy Hymn (“Eternal Father, Strong to Save”) as well as the drum cadence played as Kennedy’s casket was taken down Pennsylvania Avenue to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. Other rhythms are inspired by Kennedy’s full name in Morse code. The work premiered at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle in Washington DC, the site of the President’s Requiem Mass.
Version for Orchestra (college/professional level).
Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets
2 Bassoons
4 Horns
3 Trumpets
3 Trombones
Tuba
4 Percussion
Harp
Strings
Premiere
St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Washington DC, November 1988 Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Donald Black, conductor
Commission
Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra