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In 2016, Marley placed the top bid in a silent auction fundraiser organized by The Raleigh Ringers for a composition by Krug. Her idea was to commission a piece that MMIH might be able to perform at the dedication of the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial.
“When Barbara approached me about writing this piece, I was immediately intrigued, honored and daunted,” Krug said in an email. “Writing a piece for such an emotionally-charged subject would be no easy task.”
He decided to incorporate two hymn tunes: "My Lord, What a Morning" and "Be Still, My Soul."
“The former I chose both because of the haunting, pleading quality of the tune itself, as well as the imagery of the singer lamenting the morning ‘when the stars began to fall,’” Krug wrote. “That seemed like an apt summation of the emotions of those involved in such a senseless and heartbreaking event. I contrasted that with ‘Be Still, My Soul,’ which, again in both tune and text, I've always found a hymn of great comfort.”
The piece transitions from the chaos of the tragedy to a message of hope, healing and reconciliation.
“I didn't want to move too quickly from heartbreak to comfort, so I incorporated some intense, angry original material with the hymn tune on chimes trying to break through the tumult,” Krug wrote. “By the end, the hymn reigns supreme, providing what I hope is a sense of solid comfort to the listener as they pass through this emotional journey.”
The Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial was dedicated in Newtown in November 2022, in time for the 10th anniversary of the tragedy. In keeping with the town’s tradition of quiet remembrance, it was a private ceremony for the victims’ families.
While MMIH was not able to perform at the event, the group was honored to premiere “When the Stars Began to Fall” earlier this year and hopes the piece might be published and offered to the greater handbell community.
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