Boghod (pronounced like the English word bought) is the Maltese word for distance. Having moved to Malta from the United States in February 2026, Boghod/Distance reflects on the idea of distance in its various forms: physical distance from the land I have known most of my life, distance from my friends and family, distance in time from my past life and experiences, distance as a measure of scale (Malta is a tiny island as compared to the vast American continent), and the emotional distance required to leave my old life and the people I care about behind.

Composed for my friends, organist Heinrich Christensen and violinist Jodi Hagen, this piece is a musical representation of some of these ideas about distance, with a primary focus on those I have left behind as I pursue my new life abroad. I miss the proximity to the community I have developed over the past 46 years. That said, I am excited about my life in Malta. I want to grow here as a person, and over time I hope to be able to contribute to the cultural and social fabric of the place. I am experiencing so much joy at being in Malta, and I want to revel in the pleasure of that experience.

It is this contrast between my present life, full of joyful adventure and learning, and the feeling of poignancy and longing for the people I care about who are now so distant, that this work is about.

--G.G.R.