Blackford - Echo

Richard Blackford writes: "When I was asked to write a short piece in memory of Sandrey Date I thought of Christina Rossetti's haunting poem Echo, about remembrance of a beloved person who will not return. The strong alliteration of the three verses, the preponderance of long vowel sounds, make it ideal for musical setting. I chose a cello obligato since it was an instrument Sandrey loved and played well. The three verses are preceded by short cello interludes that highlight the rising major second motif on the word "come". Each verse is musically related but different, with climaxes occurring on the words "sunshine on a stream" in verse one and "pulse for pulse" in the final verse. Each verse travels far harmonically from it's opening tonality but concludes each time in the key of E-flat major. The baritone solo leads the chorus throughout, summoning dreams and memories of the beloved, and leads it to the work's soft conclusion."