Brooklyn Botanic Garden Marks Pandemic Loss With Return of Music for Reflection

By Lauren Rapp, Brooklyn Paper

A heartfelt musical composition will be played every hour among the cherry trees at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to mark the fifth anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The piece — titled “loved.” — offers participants a moment to reflect and remember loved ones and community members lost during the pandemic. The composition will play from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., once each hour, through the end of the month.

As the city rounds the corner on five years since the first wave of Covid-19 infections, the impact of the pandemic’s losses continues to reverberate throughout New York. More than 46,000 New Yorkers have died from Covid-19, and over 3 million cases have been reported since 2020, according to the mayor’s office.

The five-minute, 31-second piece played at BBG was created by Michael Gordon, whose work has been commissioned by Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the New World Symphony.

“When we did it originally, we were still in the pandemic and I think the wound was really fresh — and for some people that wound still is fresh — people who lost close family members, loved ones,” said Gordon. “And for some people, they already can’t remember what happened.”

Gordon, who has called New York home since 1977, said he hopes the revisited piece can serve as a marker in time and an opportunity to ensure the people who were lost to Covid-19 are not forgotten.

“In this city so filled with many different people, the common thread of those lost to Covid was that they were loved,” Gordon said in a statement. “As a way to reach out to those impacted by loss, to those seeking a few moments to sit and think and remember, I sought to create a space where the memory of those loved ones could be honored.”

The piece features seven vibraphones, creating a bright yet solemn composition, and is performed by percussionist David Cossin and the Mantra Percussion ensemble. A live performance will be presented by Mantra Percussion. The 42-person ensemble will gather to play on Saturday, March 22, from 12 to 4 p.m., every hour on the hour.

Visit the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s website for a garden map and additional program details.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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