Day is Dying was originally written with a Lenten Vespers service in mind. Mary A. Lathbury’s hymn text begins with sorrowful imagery of an ending day, but the text is ultimately hopeful. In order to capture the image of dusk through music, I incorporated a sighing gesture as the basses sing a descending chromatic scale to suggest a lament bass; the chromatic descent also resembles the Sun as it sets over the horizon. However after the dying motive is complete, the melody begins to ascend to suggest the hope of morning’s arrival.

In order to fit the reverent nature of Vespers, I was conservative with harmony and dynamics, but I allow the build on the text “Let eternal morning rise” to grow and grow until the music arrives at the climax. The fullness quickly subsides because the morning has not yet come, but the piece ends peacefully with full confidence and faith that the darkness will soon be light.

There are two recordings below featuring vastly different tempos. Despite the different paces, both work.