Elegy: Sixteen Minutes from Home

Description

Elegy: Sixteen Minutes from Home was commissioned by the Clear Brook High School Band Parent Association (Stan Mauldin, director of bands), in conjunction with the Clear Creek Independent School District and the Johnson Space Center (NASA) “Columbia Art Project.” The project title was “Painting An Empty Sky” and is in memory of the STS 107, Columbia Crew (Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson, Lian Ramon, Dave Brown, Rick Husband, William McCool & Kalpana Chawla).

This work reflects both the national tragedy and the personal loss felt by the community of Clear Lake (Johnson Space Center). Composer Leroy Osmon has written a powerful statement that expresses both the shock and solitude felt by those that watched the clear sky and ultimately relinquished all hope for a safe return… only sixteen minutes from home.

In the tradition of a dramatic rhapsody, the Elegy: Sixteen Minutes from Home (with its sweeping melodies, triumphant brass, inventive winds and driving percussion) is a statement to man’s never ending quest for knowledge and perseverance in the face of tragedy.

Published by: RBC Publications