High-Flyers

Dedicated in loving memory of Charles “Chas” Wetherbee

With special thanks and gratitude to Hilá Plitmann

Poetry from “High Flight” by John Gillespie Magee Jr.

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In January of this year, 2023, we lost Charles “Chas” Wetherbee too early to cancer. A concert violinist, professor, husband, and father of three, Chas left a lasting impact on his loved ones, colleagues, and students, as a musician and as a person. I got to know Chas briefly during our time together in Siena, Italy at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in the Summer of 2022. Chas and his close-knit group, the Carpe Diem String Quartet, spent time with me and nine other composition students premiering new works abroad. I fondly remember enjoying the quartet’s stunning performances and their genuine love for each other as friends, especially in our final dinner together. Even after Chas had discovered his cancer had come back, he refused to put down his violin and stop sharing his music and love with the world.

After Italy, Chas and I kept in touch via email, and he and his quartet extended me the generosity of recording another movement of my string quartet. I had no idea these months would be Chas’s final months of playing his violin. We exchanged emails, making adjustments to the composition, as Chas shared his wisdom with me beyond the summer excursion to Italy. Upon my final submission of comments to Chas, he replied, “all will be as you wish.”

Upon the eve of Chas’s passing, I discovered his GoFundMe page, flooded with thousands of donations and notes about his kindness, compassion, love, musicianship, friendship, and the mark he left as a person. Chas, throughout his whole life, gave so much to the world. Of all the notes, I would like to share this quote from his wife Karina:

“…Chas’s final words were about birds, especially birds of prey and wild fowl, “high-flyers”, as he called them… so, now, I take heart when I see a beautiful creature flying overhead; I give a small wave and a nod of acknowledgement, as I feel the warmth of the love that Chas left. I hope you feel it too. He put it out into the world for all to share.”

Difficulty: Hard | Duration: 3 minutes

Solo Soprano

Piano