Lament (Frank Bridge, arr. Hindmarsh)

English composer Frank Bridge (1879 – 1941) composed Lament on 14 June 1915, in memory of Catherine Crompton, who drowned when the Cunard liner Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine on 7 May, 1915 off the coast of Ireland. 1201 men, women and children lost their lives out of the 1962 people aboard. Ninety-four children died, including Catherine, her twin brother Paul and four other siblings. Paul Crompton, Snr. (44), a British businessman working in Philadelphia, his wife Gladys (40) and the family nanny were also drowned. How Bridge’s dedication came about is uncertain. One contemporary source says that Bridge knew the family, but it is also possible that he came across the family photograph which was published in many newspapers in the wake of the sinking. His response to this personal tragedy was characteristically spontaneous and utterly sincere. It is one of his most effective miniatures, poignant yet restrained in its lyrical beauty, with compelling directness and simplicity.
This arrangement was made for performance at the 2015 RNCM Festival of Brass where it was beautifully performed by Cory Band under Philip Harper.

Duration: 4-5 mins
PHM007   PDF Score and parts and print license from phmpublishing@btinternet.com        £30.00

Bridge – Lament played by the Cory Band (Philip Harper)