I composed Long Ways From Home for the Sinfonia Concertante Bremen, who premiered the work in 2009 under the baton of Rodrigo Blumenstock. Inspired by the beauty and emotional power of American spirituals, this piece transforms “Long Ways From Home” into a short tone poem for chamber orchestra.

The spiritual’s melody carries an inherent emotional charge, rooted in its poignant lyrics:
“I’m a long ways from home / And my Lord, I’m a long ways from home. / I’m a long ways from home, / Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, / …A long ways from home, a long ways from home.”