Oseh Shalom
Program Notes
Oseh Shalom was commissioned by the Wichita State University Concert Chorale with text by former Kansas Poet Laureate Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg. The poem comes from a collection written by Mirriam-Goldberg during the height of the pandemic, with this specific poem quoting the Jewish prayer for peace, Oseh Shalom.
My reflection on this text was a deliberate focus on breath, the loss of breath, and the power of collected breath and a specific moment in historical time. It represents the brutal murder of George Floyd, and the loss of togetherness brought on by the pandemic.