More Info on Lee Hoiby's Last Letter Home

Many readers have expressed a great deal of interest in Lee Hoiby's Last Letter Home, a song based on a text by Pfc. Jesse Givens, a soldier in the US Army who perished in Iraq. I would like to express my thanks to Norman Ryan, Vice-President of Composers and Repertoire at Schott Music for sending word that Schott will indeed be publishing the version of Last Letter Home for voice and piano shortly. Norman also mentioned links to recent press releases with more info on the song:

Lee Hoiby's Last Letter Home is the setting to music of a letter by US Army tank crewman, Jesse Givens, who had been in Iraq for just a month when, on May 1, 2003, his tank crashed and fell into a canal off the Euphrates River. The rest of the crew escaped through a hatch, but Givens perished trapped inside the tank. Hoiby's intention was to set Givens' words as clearly as possible, writing it in three-part form for one tenor and two baritone parts. Last Letter Home is also available in versions for solo baritone and piano as well as string quartet and orchestra.

Stay tuned for more info on the publication of the voice and piano version...

Lee Hoiby's Last Letter Home from Pfc. Jesse Givens

While on duty in Iraq, Pfc. Jesse Givens wrote a letter to his wife and two children that he wished to be only opened in the event of his death. Unfortunately, Givens died in battle and his wife consented to American composer Lee Hoiby setting his letter to music. Here is the transcription for voice and piano, as performed by baritone Andrew Garland and Lee Hoiby on piano.



Note on getting hold of the music: The score of Last Letter Home for male choir is published by Schott. I inquired about the availability of the score for voice and piano and the word was that this version hasn't been published yet. Stay tuned for more updates on where to find the score of this lovely and heartbreaking song.

(Via Sequenza21/)

Update 4/10:

Lee Hoiby has very kindly informed me that the voice and piano version is currently in the process of publication, but he can send you a score for $8 if you email him at Aquarius [at] pronetisp dot net.