Lee III: Ekah for Violoncello & Piano

Ekah is the Hebrew word for Lamentations, as in the book of Lamentations in the Bible. The literal translation of this word would be “How” or “Ah! How.” When the cellist, Inbal Segev asked me to write a new piece for cello and piano, and as a part of our discussion, I decided to compose a new piece that reflected on the immense challenges that the year 2020 has presented. The “hows” and “lamentations” in this piece might be: how can there still be so much hate in the world since we are all equal and created in the image of God? How can there be such police brutality in 2020? How and why is the whole world suffering with the Coronavirus (COVID-19)? How can our mental health, cities, and communities be so desolate? We can hope, pray, and do our responsible part to make our life on this planet meaningful during these challenging times of the year 2020. — James Lee III

Instrumentation: Violoncello & Piano
Duration: 6′
Composed: 2020
Published by: Subito Music Publishing