In June of 2023, I was accepted into the 2023 Summer Choral Composers Forum held at Lehigh University. There, I was fortunate to work closely with and be mentored by Eriks Esenvalds and Steven Sametz. There were twenty composers from around the country (and one from abroad) at this forum, and our task was to complete a choral composition without drafting any ideas or sketches prior to arriving at Lehigh University. Sametz’s Princeton Singers were on site to read any sketches we put in front of them, and at the end of the week, they premiered all twenty pieces in a concert celebration to conclude the forum. It was an inspiring and challenging week, but I left with countless memories, new friends, and this composition: Night.

Full of close harmonies and beautiful chords, this piece is simply about a sunset and how the beautiful colors paint the landscape as the sun descends over the horizon. Throughout writing the piece, I climbed the hill upon which Lehigh University sat to watch the sunset, and it was very peaceful to sit still amidst the stresses from the day. While writing this piece, I was very blessed to be mentored by my composition idol, Eriks Esenvalds. He dropped nugget after nugget of wisdom and inspiration which helped me shape this piece, and without him, this piece would not have been written.