Cooper Lake is a beautiful spot in Woodstock, NY, where I frequently walk with friends. Originally written and recorded on a steel string guitar, the stunning vistas of the Catskill Mountains inspired this meditative reflection.

Had I set out to write a new composition, I would never have chosen the Neo-Romantic musical language of Romantic Etude. But as the composition emerged from an improvisation, I allowed the music to flow, and it was happily captured in my home studio. In retrospect, the influence of the wonderful Venezuelan composer Antonio Lauro is apparent here. His Four Valses Venezolanos, which I have played many times, is clearly the inspiration for this piece.

The Water Is Wide (also called Waly, Waly) is a Scottish folk song based on lyrics from the 1600’s. I first heard it as a young boy, and its haunting melody has been a lifelong companion. Though the lyrics are most affecting, I arranged this setting for solo guitar, as I feel this beautiful melody stands on its own.

-Frederic Hand, composer