Mis niños

Si hay algo que me inspira, son sus sonrisas. La inocencia que posesen; su credulidad y sinceridad. Es la espontaneidad con la que cada día enfrentan la vida. Es la alegría que hay en sus vidas. Es la energía que le dan a la mía…

This translates to:

My children

If there is something that inspires me, it is their smiles. It is the innocence that they possess; it is their credulity and their sincerity. It is the spontaneity with which every day they face life. It is the joy that is in their lives, it is the energy that they give to mine…

For the piece, I added to her words the line: “Es la esperanza que le son por la del mundo,” meaning, “It is the hope they are for the life of the world.” This is a tribute to her middle name, Esperanza or “Hope,” and the hope I saw her exhibit in school every day. She showed me that one can always find a reason to smile, even if most things don’t seem to be going their way. 

Finally, I gave sopranos and altos the English line, “I know you will do great things; remember that.” This is what Señora Fernández said to me in our last conversation, about two months before she passed away. I did not know anything of her health condition at the time, and I do not know how much she knew. But I’ve often looked back on that conversation and thought about how fitting of a goodbye it was. I so appreciate her faith in me and know that she will be a part of any good or even great things that I do accomplish. She was a stunning example of goodness that I was lucky to have at such an early age. I let the tenors and basses express this to her in the piece, responding to her words for me with “You have done great things. I will remember you.”

-Matthew Thomas Brown

While sharing a picture of me in middle school goes against my better judgement, I do believe this one captures Señora Fernández and I nicely.

5/17/18