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Yea Though I Walk Through the Valley: Lament for Solo Cello

by Amy Riebs Mills

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
2013
Duration
4'40''
Publisher
Amy Mills Music, LLC (distributed by Subito Music)
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About this piece

A short lament for unaccompanied cello, about four and a half minutes long, whose title comes from Psalm 23. It runs as three continuous sections that the composer names Grieving, Remembering and Finding Peace, and she presents it as "a comfort to those who mourn". Mills is better known as a conductor; this is one of a small number of string works in her catalogue, which is mostly orchestral, band and brass music.

Technical overview

No technical overview is available yet.

Level rubric

Professional

Left Hand

  • Complete command of the fingerboard.
  • Proficient thumb position across all strings.
  • Execute complex double stops and rapid trills precisely.
  • Fast scales and leaps with precise intonation and speed.
  • Apply expressive techniques (portamenti, micro‑adjusted intonation) tastefully.
  • Easily execute false harmonics.

Right Hand

  • Seamlessly blends martelé, spiccato, sautillé, legato & ricochet.
  • Meticulous bow distribution for sustained lines or rapid passages.
  • Clear pianissimo to controlled fortissimo.
  • Economical, efficient bow movement with smooth transitions.
  • Employ advanced effects (ponticello, bow effects) artistically.

Musicality

  • Focus on a deeply personal, communicative performance.
  • Make interpretive choices reflecting deep understanding of form, style & emotion.
  • Convey nuanced phrasing, wide dynamic range & a unique artistic voice.
  • Craft dramatic cadenzas/solos with rubato, tone & expressive timing.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.