Judith Shatin

Soprano or Mezzo-soprano and Viola

Composer's Note:

Sister Thou Wast Mild and Lovely is a setting of the lyrics of a Primitive Baptist hymn by Samuel Francis Smith that I composed in memory of my dear friend, violist Rosemary Glyde. I met Rosemary on my first day at the Aspen Music Festival and we became close friends immediately, with our friendship continuing while students at Juilliard and for the rest of her too-short life. We collaborated on numerous occasions, resulting in a number of pieces. Three of the high points were her performance of Arche for viola and orchestra, with the Houston Symphony, her premiere of Glyph (solo viola, string quartet and piano) at Merkin Hall and her performances of Doxa (viola & piano) and L’etude du Coeur (viola) on her Tully Hall debut. She was a champion of contemporary composers, including Richard Lane and Bernard Hoffer. A fine composer herself, she created Whydah (viola) and Weji, for viola quartet, as well as her transcriptions of the Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata and of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites for viola. I will always miss Rosemary’s warm friendship, her adventuresome spirit and her consummate musicality.