Program Notes

Program notes “Time Cries, Hoping Otherwise” is about emotional upheaval, suggesting that life often goes in difficult directions, intermingling pain with hope. The piece begins quietly, gradually emerging from emotional depths. The second movement is a song of love lost, its title borrowed from a poem by W. H. Auden about the challenge of conveying love. The final movement strives to universalize the thought by exploring its dimensions through various styles and musical experiences. The work was commissioned by the wonderful saxophonist Laura Hunter and the University of Northern Arizona. The work has been recorded by Steven Mauk and the Ithaca College Wind Ensemble, and Eric Marienthal and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Wind Symphony (both on Mark Recordings). The work is also available in a version for alto saxophone and piano.