(text: anonymous) for SATB choir a cappella; 6' (2019)
text: The Glory of Life is not that it endures forever, but that, for a time, it includes so much that is beautiful. We do not demand that the flower shall never die, nor that the song shall never end. Nor would we be angry with life because one day its beauty will be dust, its music silent, and all its laughter and tears forgotten. Life, the reality, is ours; we would shape it as nobly as we can. We will not linger, like timid sailors in port, but will live dangerously, devoting ourselves with vigour to what seems to us good, beautiful and true. The glory of Life is love unending.
composer’s note: "The Glory of Life" was written in memory of my friend Deb Heilert, with whom I sang for two decades in various choirs, and who tragically died in 2019. Deb was a great friend and a warm soul, and sang in the premieres of many of my choral works. It was my honor to write this piece (which incorporates many choral sounds that I know she loved) in her memory. The piece was to be premiered in May 2020, but given the Covid-19 pandemic, it's still unperformed.