Program Notes

Winter often means an absence of light - perhaps this is why some religions incorporate candlelight into their holiday celebrations during this season. Christians light candles on an advent wreath to count the weeks until Christmas, and Jews celebrate Hanukkah, the festival of lights, by lighting candles on a menorah. 

Countless songs have been written celebrating the religious aspects of the winter season. In this piece, however, I wanted to represent many different kinds of light, each suggesting their own winter scene: the fresh light of a crisp winter morning; the gleam of sun on freshly fallen snow; the warm glow of roaring fire; and the child-like wonder of seeing the neighborhood lit up with holiday lights for the first time.