Inspired by Irish folk music, “The Will of a Sailor” captures the nostalgia of remembering someone who’s passed on. Gorgeous harmonies serve as a sendoff for those who have departed, and provide a refuge for those who grieve. The piece lingers on the word “Home,” ebbing and flowing like the tides.

Lauren Biggs (2002) is a California-based composer, producer, and singer/songwriter. Lauren strives to tell meaningful stories, spread joy through collaborative music-making, and to create and share her art as an act of reverence to a higher power. Originally from Alaska, Lauren is currently pursuing her BM in Composition at Azusa Pacific University. For more info: laurenbiggsmusic.com

Composer’s Notes

After my father’s death in a paragliding accident in 2023, I began to relate to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Requiem on a more personal level. Not only is this piece a requiem, but it’s also a sendoff. Inspired by Irish folk music, it captures the nostalgia of remembering someone who’s passed on. The sailor. The hunter. The adventurer. These words more or less capture who my father was. He was also a musician, and without him or my mother I would not be able to study music — which is a great privilege. So this is, in a way, a song of gratitude. Writing it helped me process my emotions during a season of grief. I hope it can serve a similar purpose for others.

– Lauren Biggs