Composer's Note

wewillmeetagain.wma is a short and simple piece that samples the Broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth on the coronavirus pandemic by Her Majesty The Queen.

The piece features a spiraling canon in which two voices switch places every chorus. While the voices intermingle and overlap, they never meet. Charts and accompaniment for the work were made public for others to use for their own improvisations and remixes.

The address was made in April 2020, when it was thought that the virus would be well mitigated by the end of the year in preparation for a second wave. Little did we know that misinformation, mismanagement, and mistrust of institutions would keep the virus spreading well into the Fall and Winter of that year.

As an American, the Queen’s address was a reminder of what true leadership looks like in the face of a crisis—as was Angela Merkel’s address to the German people some three weeks prior.

While wewillmeetagain.wma was written during quarantine and samples a speech that dealt with the pandemic specifically, the work itself deals with broader themes of isolation and inner strength:

We should take comfort
That while we may have more still to endure,
Better days will return.
We will be with our friends again.
We will be with our families again.
We will meet again.

Cheers.