when all is ruin once again.

for solo piano

Premiered by Brendan White

Every time I encounter this poem, forever inscribed on Thoor Ballylee, the deteriorating vacation home of William Yeats, my entire being is moved by the constancy of change. The progression of Life is a cycle of creation and ruin: Growth is naturally accompanied by the demolition of the past. And yet, a memory remains.

This piece has been conceived and torn down countless times. With every attempt I have made to channel this feeling, I have unknowingly created it. The memory of the remnants of these efforts linger. Inspired loosely by sonata form, this piece is organized in musical reminiscences: the initial theme falls to ruin and is rebuilt again and again, each time a new iteration of that eternal inscription.

“When all is ruin once again” has been a finalist in both the ASCAP and BMI composition competitions.