Lost In The Desert (Excerpt)(2012) by Wong Chun-Wai published on 2013-07-17T01:41:23Z “Lost in the Desert” For Solo Piano Performed by Lam Chun-Fai Programme notes “Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.” (Numbers 14:33) The piece is inspired by the dreadful journey of the Israelites whom Moses led out of Egypt in the Old Testament of Bible. Saved by God from the land of slavery, the Israelites are delivered to the promised land of Canaan. They however kept complaining and testing God in the desert, despite His unfailing love which helped them in numerous occasions (like facilitating their escape from the army of Pharaoh by dividing the water of the Red Sea). The men sent to explore the land of Canaan even spread on their return after forty days bad rumor, which intimidated the Israelites who then rather wished to die in the wilderness. Since they forsook God, He made them shepherds for thirty-eight years in the wilderness (for a normally eleven-day trip from the desert to Canaan), thereby prolonging their journey from Egypt to Canaan to a total of forty years. Those who remained unfaithful could only meet their end in the desert. The piece depicts the despair, anger, remorse and death of the Israelites during the long time they were lost in the desert. The special use of pedals and the exploration of the acoustic phenomenon of beating imbue the piece with the wild and spacious ambience of desert as well as the confused sense of direction. The piece is broadcast through Classical Discoveries aired on WPRB (United States) in 2013. Recording of the complete performance is available on the CD "resonating colours 3" published by the Hong Kong Composers' Guild. More information: http://www.hkcg.org/#!blank/sowip Photo by: www.youtube.com/channel/UCX-oOm0osjkvT1036SbT8vA Genre Contemporary Classical
