Christine's Lullaby
AN ELEGY FOR ORCHESTRA
 

ABOUT THE COMPOSITION

Christine's Lullaby, composed in December 2001, is an elegy for orchestra written in memory and honor of Christine Lee Hanson, the youngest victim of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Christine, born February 22, 1999, was the daughter of Peter and Sue Hanson of Groton, Massachusetts. All three were killed when the first plane ride of Christine’s life, one that was to take her to California to visit her great-grandmother and tour Disneyland, was hijacked and flown into the south tower of the World Trade Center.

Christine's Lullaby is dedicated to those who keep Christine’s spirit alive: friends, schoolteachers, and others who were a part of her life; and her surviving family, including her grandparents, Lee and Eunice Hanson of Easton, Connecticut.

Originally composed for orchestra, it has also been arranged for concert band, piano quintet and solo piano by composer. The approximate performance time is 5 minutes, and the difficulty level is appropriate for high school, college and community ensembles.

For more information, read the Star Tribune's article on Christine's Lullaby, published May 4, 2003.


THE CHRISTINE LEE HANSON MEMORIAL FUND

A memorial fund in Christine’s name is used by the Boston Medical Center’s pediatric unit to support their PainFree Pediatrics program and other treatment of childhood disease. If you would like to contribute, please send your donation to:

Christine Lee Hanson Fund
Boston Medical Center
One Boston Medical Center Place
Boston, MA 02118-2393

Please make checks payable to PainFree Pediatrics in memory of Christine Lee Hanson.

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ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Carl Schroeder of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a 2005 graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he studied music composition with Timothy Mahr and Peter Hamlin. He wrote Christine's Lullaby in December 2001 as a gift to Christine Lee Hanson and those who were touched by her brief life, and arranged the work for concert band in 2006 at the request of New York's Fox Lane High School. Any proceeds from the work will be donated to the Christine Lee Hanson Fund.

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MORE ON CHRISTINE'S LULLABY

PERFORMANCES
May 4, 2003: MYS Symphony Orchestra (Minnesota Youth Symphonies); Manny Laureano, conductor - Minneapolis, MN premiere VIDEO LINK Listen on YouTube
June 22, 2003: St. Olaf Summer Music Camp Orchestra; Steven Amundson, conductor - Northfield, MN
Sept. 11, 2003: Freelance quintet - Boston, MA premiere (piano quintet arrangement)
Sept. 11, 2003: 9-11 Tribute Concert Orchestra; Jere Lantz, conductor - Minneapolis, MN
June 6, 2004: Mitchell/Shadko/Kempton/Erdmann/Schroeder Quintet - Minneapolis, MN (piano quintet arrangement)
Nov. 28, 2004: Larson/Larson/Lofft/Nelson/Schroeder Quintet - Minneapolis, MN (piano quintet arrangement)
Feb. 25, 2005: Larson/Larson/Lofft/Nelson/Schroeder Quintet - Northfield, MN (piano quintet arrangement)
May 13, 2005: St. Olaf Orchestra; Steven Amundson, conductor - Northfield, MN
Nov. 19, 2005: Norwalk Youth Symphony Concert Orchestra; Richard Brooks, conductor - Norwalk, CT
March 20, 2006: Carl Schroeder - Edina, MN premiere (solo piano arrangement)
June 14, 2006: Rachel South - Bloomington, MN (solo piano arrangement)
June 25, 2006: Carl Schroeder - Minneapolis, MN (solo piano arrangement)
March 26, 2007: Fox Lane High School Symphonic Band; Paul Tooker, conductor - New York, NY premiere (band arrangement)
Sept. 11, 2007: 9-11 Tribute Concert Orchestra; Manny Laureano, conductor - Minneapolis, MN
Jan. 29, 2009: Champlin Park High School Orchestra; Judy Blomgren, conductor - Champlin, MN
Feb. 2, 2009: Champlin Park High School Orchestra; Judy Blomgren, conductor - Coon Rapids, MN
Jan. 30, 2011: Fond du Lac Symphonic Band; Jill Wagner, conductor- Fond du Lac, WI (band arrangement)
VIDEO LINK Watch this performance on YouTube
Sept. 11, 2011: 9-11 Tribute Concert Orchestra; Manny Laureano, conductor - Minneapolis, MN
Dec. 9, 2021: Edison High School Concert Band; Lesley Earles, conductor - Minneapolis, MN (band arrangement)
VIDEO LINK Watch this performance on YouTube

NEWS ARTICLES
May 4, 2003: "Big impact felt in post-9/11 work by budding composer" (Gwendolyn Freed, Star Tribune)
May 5, 2003: "The Bleat" (James Lileks, Lileks.com)
Sept. 12, 2003: "Ceremonies, Dedications Honor Mass. Sept. 11 Victims" (WHDH-TV)
May 2004: "Student composer hits high note with compositions, leadership" (Anna Palmer, St. Olaf Magazine)
Sept. 9, 2005: "Business owner produces annual 9-11 Tribute with community's help" (Roxanne Furlong, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

RECORDINGS

The Minnesota Portraits and Other Music by Carl Schroeder - MYS Symphony Orchestra (Minnesota Youth Symphonies); Manny Laureano, conductor
88 Keys: Piano Music by Carl Schroeder - Carl Schroeder (solo piano arrangement)

 

DETAILS AND PURCHASING INFORMATION *

Instrumentation (Orchestra):
2 fl, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 bsn, 2 hrn, 2 tpt, 3 tbn, tuba, timp, 1 perc, harp, strings
Instrumentation (Band):
2 fl, ob, bsn, 3 cl, a cl, b cl, 2 a sax, t sax, b sax, 3 tpt, 2 hrn, 3 tbn, euph, tuba, timp, 1 perc

Difficulty Level: Grade 3 (Ideal for high school, community and college ensembles)

PURCHASE A SCORE OR SCORE/PARTS SET
* All proceeds will be donated to the Christine Lee Hanson memorial fund.

Listen to Recording | Performed by the MYS Symphony Orchestra (Manny Laureano, conductor)