At the end of a really great day, 2008 (14′)

for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello

The title of this piece comes from something that my friend Eve said about our friend Emily, who was killed in a tragic accident. Emily was a talented person with a beautiful, infectious spirit, and was an inspiration to everyone who knew her. The community that rallied around her life, once it was taken away, was incredible, and its attitude and energy wound up making its way into the piece. Eve said that she died the way you’d expect her to, “at the end of a really great day.” It was true for the day itself and for her life, and is an inspiring thought to me about how I would like to live all my days, and how it becomes possible to live with the unavoidable tragedies that life presents. At the end of a really great day was commissioned by the Seattle Chamber Players, and is is dedicated to Eve and to Josh on the happy occasion of their wedding, in memory of Emily.