In 1998, Issa Boulos composed a series of pieces for harp and string quartet. This piece, entitled Once Upon a Time, is one piece in this collection. Family photos, stories, and encounters inspired the composition. Musically, it keeps the melancholy feel through diatonic textures, although secondary harmonies are also deployed. The melodic contours are developed in ways similar to the maqām musical traditions. It's also a program piece that plays on the central premise, Once Upon a Time, a family, stories, connections, and distance!
 
The purchase price includes all parts and the score.