Psalm Offering 12 Opus 6
This Psalm Offering, the last of Opus 6, is dedicated to my daughter (in-law), Olivia. Unlike our other four children, who entered into my life through Ruthie’s womb, Olivia entered my life in loving Andy. I could see immediately why Andy was so incredibly in love with her. Beautiful in heart as well as appearance, Olivia makes an instant impact on all who know her. She is remarkable in all that she does, and her compassion and love for her family and others is evident in her every action. Artistic does not quite do her justice as a photographer. She is able to take the cheapest throw away camera, and take pictures that leave me spellbound. Now that her own father has passed away, I am honored to be her adopted father.
As with Psalm Offering 7, the music for Olivia’s Psalm Offering initially was composed as a hymn melody. Like much of the music from that time in the late 1980’s, the melody lay unused in that plastic storage bin waiting to become something grander than just notes on a sheet of paper. There is an Irish influence integrated into the melody line. It is all the more apropos for Olivia. While her ancestry is Filipino, she was a major participant in our big family trip to Ireland in 2000 (commemorating Ruth’s and my 25th wedding anniversary). She, along with Meg and Beth, did kiss the Blarney Stone, and I think that the Irish magic that is part of that ritual assimilated in ways mysterious with her Filipino DNA. The musical form of the song is Variations on a Theme. The theme is simply stated at the very beginning, then with each restatement, the theme undergoes a variety of changes. There are times when the melody is augmented (lengthened) and other times it is diminished (shortened). Changes in the tonic key, rhythm, harmonic rhythm and accompaniment keeps it melodically interesting. Overall, there are 9 variations of the initial theme before it arrives at the Coda. I chose this musical form to reflect the wonderful multi-faceted qualities of the person to whom it is dedicated.
