Ode
to the
Sea.

A composition can begin long before the first rehearsal. For R. Wayne Walters, the story behind Ode to the Sea is also a story of creative friendship.

In Masterwork’s September conversation, Walters and Father Kenneth E. Lasch reflect on the friendship and written inspiration behind Walters’ latest choral work. Their conversation follows the connections between a letter, memory, the sea and the music that grew from them.

Walters is an educator, conductor, soloist and composer. Masterwork recognized his contribution to artistic life with its first A Life in the Arts Award, honoring a career that has connected performance, composition and education.

This is the heart of A Life in the Arts: hearing how artistic work emerges from relationships and experiences, as well as craft.