For Bassoon and Piano

The tune BUNESSAN is a traditional Gaelic melody first printed in 1888 as the setting of Mary MacDonald’s carol “Child in the Manger.” The tune was named after Mary’s birthplace on the Isle of Mull off Scotland’s western coast. BUNESSAN is commonly associated with hymns celebrating new beginnings: the aforementioned “Child in the Manger,” then the 1931 creation-celebrating hymn “Morning Has Broken,” and the more recent but lesser-known 1982 hymn “Baptized in Water.”  The title of this piece, “A Hymn of Beginnings,” recognizes that association.

Duration: ~3’00”