Four Scenes From A Life Well Lived

Score and parts available

In memory of Elizabeth Anne White Clieno

Scene I: Tapestry

Life is a tapestry woven from many threads. This short introductory movement presents several musical statements which are then developed in the following movements. In measure one the flute introduces the theme that will become the basis for Scene II. In measure 9 the violins introduce the theme that will become the basis for Scene IV.

There is also some non-musical symbolism in Scene I. The single sustained note played by the french horns in m. 7 introduces a descending major scale that represents the forces of fate that influenced the lives of so many who were born during the 1920s. The generation endured both the Great Depression and WWII. Every life was lived against this backdrop of tragedy. In m. 16 the direction reverses and the major scale, voiced in the french horns, begins an assent that is symbolic of Faith and the resolve born of that Faith. The final cadence, again in the french horns, is symbolic of the promise that Faith and determination will triumph.  

Scene II: Childhood

This scene depicts the joy and excitement of children. It is derived from the flute part in the first few bars of Scene I. Betty Anne White grew up in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina during the 1920s. Even without knowing the details of her childhood, the fact that she raised five children, ten grandchildren, and seventeen great-grandchildren, is a safe indication that children were an important part of her life! Scene II represents the joy and excitement of children scampering about in play and their delight in discovering the surprises of life.

Scene III: Faith

Betty Anne White was confirmed in the Home Moravian Church in Winston-Salem. One of the important aspects of the Moravian culture and faith are the brass bands and music of the Moravian Church. She often spoke of the brass bands and how they would rise early on Easter morning and roam about performing hymns in the streets of Winston-Salem. She specifically requested that the Moravian Hymn, Jesus makes my heart rejoice, be performed at her memorial service. 

Scene II attempts to recreate this. After the brief introduction, a brass ensemble performs the hymn and then the melody is passed to the strings. In the end, the entire ensemble comes together for a majestic statement of this traditional hymn.

Scene IV: A Love For A Lifetime

It is difficult to imagine a more enduring love between two people than the love between Betty Anne and Ed Clieno. They met in the early 1940s. Betty Anne was a member of the Vanderbilt University A Cappella Choir of which Ed Clieno was the director. With WWII looming, their relationship blossomed. They were married in 1943. It was "A Love For A Lifetime" -- they were married for seventy-two years! They were both extraordinary people and their love and devotion to each other was exceptional. This scene attempts to allude to their mutual devotion.

The theme for Scene IV is introduced by the violins in m. 9 of Scene I.