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This work was especially arranged for Thomas Stumpf and Joanna Kurkowicz and was adapted from the second movement of my Violin Concerto No. 1. The inspiration comes from the melodic shapes and sentiments of the hymns and chants of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Though there is no direct reference
to any particular hymn or chant in that repertoire, it is the formal structure and melodic contour from that tradition that provided inspiration for Hymn; especially in the opening and closing sections. The inner feelings of Hymn reflect on one aspect of the nature of faith, and how one holds on to it in a tumultuous world. This is reflected in the middle section where the piano's jagged rhythms attempt to throw off the steady pulses of the violin. Only faith in one's own inner rhythm can keep the violinist moving steadily forward. -Kareem Roustom