The Heaven’s Hundred for solo guitar (2014)

This piece was commissioned by and is dedicated to Matt Palmer, whose artistry was one of my main inspirations for this work.

About the title: during the composition process, which took place in the winter and spring of 2013-2014, I was deeply affected by the events in Kiev, Ukraine.  I hope that, in some small way, this piece will help preserve the memory of the ultimate sacrifice made by The Heaven’s Hundred, as the slain protesters came to be known.  May their sacrifice not be in vain!

I am grateful to mention here that the funds for the commission were raised through a successful Kickstarter campaign.  In total, 71 people from all over the world backed our project, most notably Anonymous, Dale Bynum, Bob Makowski, David Palmer, Freddie Palmer, Kolya Panhuyzen, Dave and Pam Reynolds, Victoria Thomas, Tucson Guitar Society, and Aaron Walter.  Matt and I thank you deeply for all for your support, and for making this project possible.

Review of The Heaven’s Hundred:

Brilliantly weaving together the sounds of Cossack rural and religious tradition with those of anger, civil disturbance, people’s desperation and the destruction of innocence, this Chaconne-sized piece releases encroaching patterns of chaos which proceed to overwhelm its own underlying structures.

This is a grim metaphor for the plight of Ukraine.

I also think that what we heard here is the birth of a new major work, important in its way as Picasso’s Guernica.

The Royal Gazette

Purchase Matt Palmer’s world premiere recording on his CD “Appassionata”: http://www.mattpalmerguitar.com/music/