Return to Gwyneth Walker Music Catalog
Greet the Day inspired by lines from the poem "Look to This Day," by Sanskrit poet Kalidasa:
Look to this day:
For it is life, the very life of life.
Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!
The musical response to this text is a celebration of life. Just as the dawn arrives fresh and uncluttered, so does the music begin in a sparse and open texture. A gently syncopated rhythmic introduction suggests energy and anticipation. Then the theme enters, openly-spaced, rejuvenated by ascending scale patterns. The volume increases, and chords thicken into a grand ending -- a fulfillment of the day.
The composer brings a personal celebration to Greet the Day, since the premiere was be presented in her childhood hometown of New Canaan, CT. Such a homecoming is extremely gratifying.
Notes by the composer