In the spring of 1969, shortly after the death of Ben Shahn, I received a call from Lawrence A. Fleischman of the Kennedy Galleries in New York on behalf of a group of the late artist?s friends. Would I accept a commission to compose a work in Shahn?s memory? Because of my admiration for the astonishing achievements of this artist, my response was immediate and affirmative. I began at once to consider what relationship, if any, the music could have to Shahn. My thoughts led me to reject any atte...