A Grier Ashokan Farewell
Members of Grier’s Chamber Orchestra, along with Director Mr. Mark Minnich, performed the piece “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Unger against a backdrop of photos featuring Grier musicians and seniors. The music was performed, recorded, and compiled during the school closure and while many were in quarantine or under stay-at-home orders. It is dedicated to the Grier Class of 2020.
The song features stringed instruments and is in the style of a Scottish lament. Celebrated documentary filmmaker Ken Burns used this piece in his PBS mini-series The Civil War. According to Unger who composed the song nearly 40 years ago, it describes emerging from “a sense of loss and longing.”
Thank you to all the talented Grier musicians and to Mr. Minnich for generously creating this beautiful tribute to the Class of 2020.
RW | MM, KB, CF, RW & others
Grier School
2522 Grier School Rd. | P.O. Box 308; Birmingham, PA 16686-0308
Phone: 814-684-3000 | Fax: 814-684-2177
Phone: 814-684-3000 | Fax: 814-684-2177
