Author: Arsine Chaltikian

By Hannah Saunders, For the Reporter

Stephen Lamson grew up on Mercer Island, where if he found himself having a bad day, he would sneak off to grab his dog and go fishing. Throughout his childhood, music played a major role.

“My mom used to play the piano, my sisters used to play the piano, and I used to fall asleep under the piano,” Lamson said.

When he was about six years old, Lamson picked up the drums, which he played until the ninth grade.

“When I was about ten years old, I was sitting at the piano and my mom had just finished playing and I sat at the piano — and I couldn’t play anything — but I looked at the keyboard and I just had this weird feeling that this was what I was supposed to do with my life,” Lamson said.

Lamson recalled his youthful days where he would sneak into churches at night to play piano. When he reached his early twenties, Lamson became more serious about composing while working in the sales and marketing field.

“It’s taken me almost a year of composition on just this composition,” Lamson said.

This past year Lamson finished composing his second symphony, “Ararat’s Shadow,” which is a four movement, 96-minute piece. Lamson has Armenian roots, and the tales of how his grandfather escaped the Armenian Genocide, and Nazi-occupied Germany, is what inspired this symphony.

“I couldn’t believe people could do some of the things you hear,” Lamson said. “I’ve got to do something to honor a part of my heritage and these poor people that suffered so much.”

Through melodies and chording, Lamson tries to educate people. In “Ararat’s Shadow,” he brought up how the third movement is titled ‘The Promise of Forgiveness,” which he describes as a point in which all humans must get to no matter what.

“The last movement is ‘The Awakening,’ and that’s really the celebration of unity and bringing people together and the resurrection of humanity,” Lamson said. “The bringing back of sense and kindness and love and piece.”

Lamson brought up how there were a lot of emotions in the piece. For recording, the piece was so long that it had to be placed on two CDs.

“I composed the piece, the melodies, the whole thing, and then I would get it recorded and then I’d talk with Al and some of these other musicians, so we just carved it out,” Lamson said. “It’s sort of like a spiritual creation by a team of dedicated musicians.”

Lamson calls the group of musicians Eternal Flame, which is a large monument in Armenia with a continuous flame that burns and is dedicated to lives lost during the Armenian Genocide.

Al Cisneros plays electric guitar and bass while also doing editing for the symphony. Jim Malin plays the harmonica. Myles Ricker, 24, plays the violin, viola, and cello. Kurt Madsen plays the classical guitar. Jack Reed, a member of the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, plays percussion instruments to include the timpani and glockenspiel. Jeff Miller plays the trumpet. Denny Hancock plays the trumpet and harmonica. Jennifer Rae Getz is a singer and songwriter who does vocals on the track.

“I’ve written music over the years, but this is my most serious work,” Lamson said. “Part of what we want to do with the money is to go to the Armenian relief fund.”

Stephen said if anyone is interested in picking up a copy of “Ararat’s Shadow,” they can call him at 425-503- 1499 or email him at .

https://www.mi-reporter.com/news/mercer-island-native-composes-second-symphony-with-armenian-roots/

The two countries are ready to appoint envoys to negotiate the normalization of relations. Recognition of genocide remains legitimate, as "moral duty" towards those who lost their lives. The role of the Church in favor of rights, including religious freedom. Defense of identity and fraternity must be points of reference in all dialogue. 

Yerevan (AsiaNews) – The Armenian people "is a peaceful people and wants peace" and in this vein sees the diplomatic initiative underway between Yerevan and Ankara, with the mutual appointment of envoys to negotiate the normalization of relations as "positive," the Armenian Catholic Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian tells AsiaNews. The religious leader specifies at the same time that the dialogue must be "without preconditions" and that the diaspora "has every right" to claim recognition of the genocide not in order to obtain "material compensation", but as a "moral duty" towards those who "lost their lives". 

Yesterday Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey and Armenia will proceed to the mutual appointment of special envoys, to discuss "measures" to normalize relations. The resumption of air links between Istanbul and the capital Yerevan is lso on the table. In 2009, the two countries signed a historic peace agreement for the resumption of ties and the reopening of borders, but the document has never been ratified and relations remain tense.

Relations were soured by the war fought last year in Nagorno-Karabakh, in which Ankara supported Azerbaijan and accused Yerevan of occupying Azerbaijani territory. Tensions were rekindled in recent weeks and caused the death of Armenian soldiers, in a framework of continuing instability and attacks – diplomatic and military – each other. 

The Armenian government, recalls Patriarch Minassian, said in the recent past that "this will be the century of peace" and together with the other side "we will try to find peaceful solutions" aimed at coexistence. However, he continues, an "essential element" is that this peace, the dialogues through which it can be achieved, must be "without preconditions" within a "free" relationship of exchange and confrontation. It remains open the table on Nagorno-Karabakh where "we lost the battle, but not the war".

"There must be equal treatment between one country and another for a common good, to live honorably also because a détente between Armenia and Turkey can have beneficial implications for other nations and for the whole region," he adds. 

According to the Armenian primate, the government in Yerevan is "well disposed" to dialogue and the search for an agreement, but "we cannot know for sure the position of the other side." One of the nodes of the dispute, recalls the primate, remains that relating to the resources of Nagorno-Karabakh, especially the water that "feeds Armenia and passes through the territory controlled by the Azerbaijani government" putting at risk the supply. There are still points "to be resolved", he warns, going beyond slogans and claims "of victory". 

The Armenian Church intends to protect and safeguard "the rights and lives" of Catholics living in those territories. And in a perspective of dialogue and confrontation, it wants to put at the center of attention also the issue of "religious freedom" that must be mutual and valid "for all" in Armenia as in Nagorno-Karabakh, because "in the end we believe in one God".

The  patriacrh concludes, "the Church works for peace, dignity and freedom of the human person, as Pope Francis himself states in the encyclical 'Brothers All' which is our point of reference. Because to appreciate the other we must not lose our identity, always claiming mutual respect."