Elegy for Sarah

This work for viola and piano was composed in memory of Sarah Gibson, the composer, pianist and educator who passed away in 2024 at the age of 38. From the program note by Donald Crockett: “This ELEGY FOR SARAH evokes a specific time and place: during the height of Covid, violist Kate Vincent and Sarah Gibson gave a backyard concert at Kate's and my house, in three sets, each with an audience of six on the driveway facing the music studio with Sarah and Kate making music just inside the open French doors. For the concert I chose an excerpt of a piece I'd written for Kate, now in an arrangement for viola and piano. This served as a point of departure for the ELEGY, with a tribute to Sarah's characteristic 'indie-rock' style and with a tombeau at its core. The cowbells framing the ELEGY, accompanying Sarah on her journey home, were hanging on the majestic oak tree in the backyard in clear view of our miniature concert.” The violist also plays two “backyard Tibetan cowbells,” which are available from the composer.