Elegy, composed in a short time during the dark days that followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, was first performed on December 8, 1963 by the Saginaw Symphony, the composer conducting. Written for string orchestra, the work is a brief musical statement of the feelings of grief and shock which swept the country and, indeed, the world, after the President's death. During the years since the Kennedy tragedy, the piece has been performed on five continents as conductors have turned to this work on numerous occasions both for concert performances as well as to mark the passing of notables. The music is simply and deeply expressive of the anguish one feels at the loss of a loved one.