Desert Rose - the Valley of Roses (2026)

For Orchestra

Duration: 4’ 30”

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First performed by the Filarmonica Braşov at the International Musicians Academy Gala Concert, conducted by Sebastian Grand, Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at the Sala Patria, Filarmonica Braşov, Braşov, Romania.

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Desert Rose, the Valley of Roses is inspired by a journey in the valleys of North Africa, where

roses flourish in a dry place along streams and rivers etched into the landscape.

This voyage was made after being moved by the following text:

Psalm

84 ‘How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young— Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah O God, behold our shield, And look upon the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!’