A Silence Haunts Me by Jake Runestad

The 2020-2021 HHS Chamber Choir performs Jake Runestad's "A Silence Haunts Me."
In 1802, Ludwig van Beethoven wrote a letter to his brothers. In it, he despairs over his increasing deafness, confesses to thoughts of ending his life, and expresses his desire to overcome his hearing loss and continue his creative legacy. This letter, now called the Heiligenstadt Testament, was found after his death having never been sent. 14 years after penning the letter, Beethoven was completely deaf. Despite his disability, he continued with his art and created countless works that have become cornerstones of Western music. The work you're about to hear, written in 2018 by poet Todd Boss and composer Jake Runestad, is a musical adaptation of that letter. This new work invites you to empathize, for a time, with the great composer, as he agonizes over the impending loss of the asset he holds most dear.
The performance you are about to hear took place during the 2021 Concert of Choirs. All choirs were recorded at separate times in the auditorium. After each group there was a 30 minute break to let the air exchange. Additionally, the air remained on for the entire evening. All groups also maintained a 6 foot distance at all times while wearing masks.