Armando Bayolo

My sea,

Profound sea that begins within me,

Subterranean and lonely sea

Of my  soil of cramped swords.

The sea remembers what we forget.

A sail!

A sail swimming in the sea!

Is it the sea, come to see me,

Or is it my soul floating on the sea?

The sea remembers who we are.

I will make a seawall

With my small happiness…

I don’t want the sea to know,

That sorrows flow through my chest.

The sea washes away our sorrows.

“Marinesoul…Marinesoul…”

                Said the wind when I gave it my hand on the mountain.

“if I’m called…I don’t know how I’m called.”

                Don’t you see my name, there, hanging from the petals,

                Pronounced in the fresh “good mornings” of the stream,

                Or opening in some swallow’s flight?

The sea remembers our name.

Where are you from? Not the address, but the ache? Where does the sea call you?

We are all connected by the sea, the mountain, the paths taken and not yet taken. And yet we build seawalls that separate us from one another and trap our sorrows.

These are some of the words of the great poet, Julia de Burgos that I am setting to music in my eighth symphony, Letanía del mar. Join me and my friends in tearing down the seawalls and celebrate the connections as we collaborate in bringing this new piece to life.

To join us in this adventure, contact me at armandobayolo@gmail.com or through my website, armandobayolo.com. Buy-in to the consortium is $1000 payable in two installments of $500 each (the first upon signing the commission agreement, with final payment due upon receipt of score and parts). Each member organization will receive a dedication and exclusive rights to perform the work for a year after completion, with an eye towards premieres in the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons and ownership of performance materials in perpetuity.