Commissioned by Dr. Brian A. West and the Texas Christian University Percussion Orchestra for their PASIC50 performance, “through a glass, darkly” is a meditation on accepting the sovereignty of God through the inevitable joys and sorrows of life. The title is in reference to 1 Corinthians 13:12 from the New Testament of the Bible: “ For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known.”

Additionally, the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul”, also known as “When Peace, Like A River”, provides both musical and contextual inspiration throughout the latter half of the piece. I grappled with these thoughts in the early stages of composition when a former student tragically passed away in a car accident. My hope is that listeners can experience the joy, sorrow, questioning, and acceptance of life’s ups and downs through this lens. Or rather, “through a glass, darkly”.

Available for purchase here.