“I Came to This Life in Joy” was written for the N.E.O. Voice Festival 2026 Exploratorio At the End of All Things.

 

In considering the theme, I imagined “the end” not only as disappearance, but as transformation—breath becoming song, wave becoming foam, body returning to air and water, memory carrying what cannot be held. Its text begins with an acceptance and a wish—“I came to this life in joy, / And at the end, in joy, I’ll go”—before moving into a more childlike moment of wonder and longing: the desire to hold something beautiful forever, and the realization that grasping too tightly only makes it slip away.

 

Bubbles serve as a visual and musical metaphor. They are made from breath; they shimmer, vanish, and return to what they were. The choir and organ create a natural sound world of drones, birdsong, shifting vowels, and wave-like swells, inviting performers and listeners to notice subtle changes in color, resonance, and overtone. The music draws lightly on the directness and communal spirit of Appalachian folk and hymn traditions, while allowing space for improvisation, listening, and shared breath.

 

At its heart, “I Came to This Life in Joy” acknowledges our impermanence and asks how gently we might hold the time we are given. If nothing stays forever, perhaps our work is not to keep it, but to shape it with care, love it while it lasts, and let it drift home.