Mosab Abu Toha from Gaza

By coincidence, a book of poems by Mosab Abu Toha falls into my hands. I flip through the pages one by one and feel my heart growing heavier and heavier. His language isn’t dramatic, but rather everyday speech—simple and unforced. Yet there are words there filled with incredible sadness and human warmth. I couldn’t just leave it at that and was immediately inspired: these words must be set to music. This led to the writing of three songs for vocal ensemble and viola: “Hard Work,” “We Love What We Have,” and “A Rose Struggles Upward”