Not long after the signing of the Camp David Peace Accords which ended the state of war between Israel and Egypt a melody came to me -- a tune undoubtedly inspired by the spirit of hope that emerged from that momentous occasion. While A Camp David Overture would be several years in the making, even then it seemed clear to me that this theme would form the centerpiece of a larger composition written in tribute to the signatories of the Camp David Accords--President Jimmy Carter, Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and President Anwar el-Sadat. Ultimately, the idea of composing a concert overture to mark this event seemed particularly appropriate, since the peace accords themselves represented the beginning of a new era.

An early draft, completed by 1988, was revised for the 1995 annual conference of the American Symphony Orchestra League. It was there that representatives from the Sacramento Symphony and the Albany-Georgia Symphony offered to present A Camp David Overture's World premiere and East Coast premiere, respectively. Since then, A Camp David Overture has been programmed by the Westchester Philharmonic, University of Wyoming Symphony, the Laredo Philharmonic, the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra of Australia, the Carson Ciy Symphony, and the Metropolitan Washington Philharmonic. It was also selected as a featured new work at the 2003 Conductors Guild Conference held in New York.

A Camp David Overture contains several symbolic gestures to portray the spirit of the Peace Accords. The music begins solemly, with the lowest strings presenting a four note motive in their darkest registers. This serves to evoke a long and painful history of enmity and despair (this primary motive, first presented chromatically to suggest foreboding will by the conclusion become transformed within a glorious major key). The middle section, marked Allegro Furioso, is highly percussive and punctuated by dissonant outbursts. There also exist within this section two aleatoric episodes, which form a "chaotic" texture. These passages in particular symbolize the senselessness of war. The second, and larger, of these climactic outbursts last for exactly thirty seconds--one second for each year a state of war existed between Israel and Egypt. As this episode gradually fades, the beginning of the principal melody reappears. Borrowed from cinematography, this "dissolve technique" allows the new theme to enter like the sun rising from behind a storm cloud. While this principal melody suggests a folk tune (so as to evoke a "universal language"), it is also intended to transcend any specific national or ethnic identity. This theme and its subsequent variations conclude A Camp David Overture, ultimately taking the form of an "Anthem of Peace."

		A CAMP DAVID OVERTURE [Prayer for Peace]
		PROGRAM NOTES Not long after the signing of the Camp David Peace Accords which ended the state of war between Israel and Egypt a melody came to me -- a tune undoubtedly inspired by the spirit of hope that emerged from that momentous occasion. While A Camp David Overture would be several years in the making, even then it seemed clear to me that this theme would form the centerpiece of a larger composition written in tribute to the signatories of the Camp David Accords--President Jimmy Carter, Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and President Anwar el-Sadat. Ultimately, the idea of composing a concert overture to mark this event seemed particularly appropriate, since the peace accords themselves represented the beginning of a new era. An early draft, completed by 1988, was revised for the 1995 annual conference of the American Symphony Orchestra League. It was there that representatives from the Sacramento Symphony and the Albany-Georgia Symphony offered to present A Camp David Overture's World premiere and East Coast premiere, respectively. Since then, A Camp David Overture has been programmed by the Westchester Philharmonic, University of Wyoming Symphony, the Laredo Philharmonic, the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra of Australia, the Carson Ciy Symphony, and the Metropolitan Washington Philharmonic. It was also selected as a featured new work at the 2003 Conductors Guild Conference held in New York. A Camp David Overture contains several symbolic gestures to portray the spirit of the Peace Accords. The music begins solemly, with the lowest strings presenting a four note motive in their darkest registers. This serves to evoke a long and painful history of enmity and despair (this primary motive, first presented chromatically to suggest foreboding will by the conclusion become transformed within a glorious major key). The middle section, marked Allegro Furioso, is highly percussive and punctuated by dissonant outbursts. There also exist within this section two aleatoric episodes, which form a "chaotic" texture. These passages in particular symbolize the senselessness of war. The second, and larger, of these climactic outbursts last for exactly thirty seconds--one second for each year a state of war existed between Israel and Egypt. As this episode gradually fades, the beginning of the principal melody reappears. Borrowed from cinematography, this "dissolve technique" allows the new theme to enter like the sun rising from behind a storm cloud. While this principal melody suggests a folk tune (so as to evoke a "universal language"), it is also intended to transcend any specific national or ethnic identity. This theme and its subsequent variations conclude A Camp David Overture, ultimately taking the form of an "Anthem of Peace."
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