Composer's Statement

Pelageya Grigorieva housed a Jewish boy for three years during the Holocaust. The Chechnya Underground Railroad saved members of the LGBTQ community from persecution. The first section of my piece is serene; a calm before the storm. Our heroes are unaware of the coming trouble and what hard choices they will have to make. The piece builds to a crescendo, symbolizing the height of the storm where the heroes observe horrors all around them and make the decision to put their lives at risk to help others. The music calms down with a minor chord section; the passing of danger. The final section mirrors the melodic serenity of the beginning; the storm has passed. The music reflects the hope for a brighter future for those whose lives have been saved by unselfish acts of our heroes.