Dearly Beloved

Program Notes:

Dearly Beloved was composed for a family member’s wedding. He has been my staunchest supporter for most of my compositional life – both my cheering section and my most honest critic. This piece lies in the gray area between Sacred and Secular. The piece opens with the most common phrase in the wedding liturgy. I interspersed this with asides of my own, defining and/or describing the vows, comments from the wedding attendees, and the innermost thoughts of a bride and groom. The piece ends with a celebratory presentation of the marriage couple as the wedding concludes.

With nine separate parts, SSSSMSAAAA,  the piece is composed for nine or eighteen performers, though larger groups could perform it as well. Created for A’cappella choir, a piano part is included if needed.

– Christina Rusnak 2011