Lento for Strings is an orchestral work by the Australian composer Malcolm Williamson.
McDermott was held in particularly high regard by Williamson, especially as it was he who had successfully conducted his Symphony No.
[1][2] Firmly rooted in the key of F major, the stately theme is first played by the violins.
The music returns to the opening key for the coda, where echoes of the theme are heard in the violas, with the slight harmonic alteration of the flatted sixth of the scale (D flat, in this case), a colouration which adds a certain poignancy to the final bars.
[3][failed verification] The Lento is scored for orchestral strings only, playing divisi most of the time.