Greater Columbus Community Orchestra by the Johnstone Fund for New Music
program note:
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to explore the idioms of traditional fiddling in this piece. Another pre-compositional thought that influenced my composition involved the unusual nature of the premiere concert featuring an entire program of music by living Ohio composers. Knowing something about the music of the other composers and the common musical language we share, I made a decision to begin my composition in a sound world that I was pretty sure would be strikingly different from anything else on the program. This decision turned out to have significant implications for the piece. Once I started putting notes on the page, they demanded attention and began to have a life of their own. The most surprising outcome was the fact that I found myself using key signatures in a composition for the first time ever!
I would love to be able to relate to you a heart-warming story about how the title came to influence the development and progression of the music. But in truth, the title came about as the result of a "parlor game" at a New Years Day dinner party. Everyone present was required to offer a title for the work before dessert was served. In addition to describing the mood of the ending, the word "Joy" conveys a musical pun, which in turn is a reflection of the joy I experienced as I grew confident that I would indeed deliver the completed composition by the deadline requested.
