From the recording 2016 FVA District MPA
The piece is organized into three sections, where the melody recurs with slight variations. The most poignant of these variations is the third statement, where we learn of a "little one, asleep, that does not hear his mother's song." This is the only time the tune descends down to the low A, an effort to hint at the grief and the vulnerability of that moment. This is followed by the emotional and musical climax of the piece; the idea that hope can transcend grief.
This piece was premiered several weeks after the tragedy that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The composer attended Sandy Hook and the lyrics to A Lullaby forever took on a new meaning for me. For all who have lost a loved one, and for those who remain, it s our songs and our lullabies that help to bridge that separation, until we meet again.