Another Glorious Day

“Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.” So journaled John Muir during his first summer trekking in the Sierras of California. Muir’s words brought to mind my own experiences hiking in the mountains of the American West: the Cascades, Sierras and Rockies. I imagine the explorer waking up in mountains, breathing in the crisp air, gazing up at towering peaks, luxuriating in the beauty of nature. Thus was the inspiration of this four-movement work structured as a day hike, with moments of exertion and rest, of exhilaration and wonder.

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Mvt 1. Ascent. The adventure begins. Up and out. “I love to go a-wandering!” - Friedrich Sigismund/Antonia Ridge

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Mvt 2. Reflection. A moment of transcendent quiet; the glassy surface of a lake mirroring the surrounding peaks. “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” - Henry David Thoreau

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Mvt 3. Vista. The epic grandeur of a scenic overlook. “We were not created to lead drab, narrow, or constricted lives, but to live in the wide-open spaces.” - Jacques Philippe

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Mvt 4. Descent. Down and back. The danger of a precipice; the thrill of a glissade. The adventure comes to a close, filled with memories of yet another glorious day. “Valderi! Valdera!”  - Friedrich Sigismund/Antonia Ridge