“In the small Welsh town of Aberfan

for days the rain did fall

down on the heart–”

Here is a vocal sample of the first verse, one of three short lyric fragments from the folk song my Mom wrote following the disaster.  Aberfan is, in essence, a bonding of many different musical sequences, the least of which contain words, each a portion of the experience, each a part of the whole.

This is a picture of Pantglas School, upon which the landslide fell in 1966.  Courtesy Alan George.

Laura Siersema is composer of Aberfan (7 pianos, voice and tools of rescue), a sponsored project of New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt organization.  All donations are tax deductible.  Your contribution ensures we can return to the studio to complete its recording.