Only Then Do You Know Joy
Commissioned by Eastern Regional ACDA for their ‘Resonate’ Conference in February, 2022. Craig Hella Johnson, Conductor.
Parts: SATB + Piano
Pages: 8 Pgs with cover (vocal score)
Description: 2:30 – Written to feel, at first, like a pulsing, light-hearted exploration that makes you smile (why are we singing ‘joy and joy’ over and over? Why these glissandi?) and then to bring quiet surprises – just as joy does after we’ve experienced sorrow. What a task it is to stay open to joy (quiet, or bursting forth!) after we’ve known loss, sorrow, deep misunderstanding and distrust.