A Crown of Beauty
Wind Orchestra
Wanting to write a work appropriate for the Christmas and Epiphany seasons, I was drawn to Isaiah 61:1–3 for inspiration. This passage is widely known, as part of it was read by Jesus in the synagogue while teaching in Nazareth—Luke 4:18–19. In the third verse of Isaiah, three promises were made. The first—a crown of beauty instead of ashes—provided stunning imagery I could not escape and needed to explore. A Crown of Beauty was appropriately premiered on January 6, 2024.