Program note:

Unseen Joy was written in the fall of 2018 after a life changing week of singing with the Ontario Youth Choir under the direction of Jon Washburn. The piece is a setting of a poem by Jon Washburn that describes the magic and honesty of singing with likeminded friends. The piece uses motives, themes, and compositional elements inspired by the music sung by the 2018 Ontario Youth Choir. Unseen Joy was premiered by the Vancouver Chamber Choir in their 2019 “Youth and Music” concert, celebrating Jon’s retirement after a 48-year career with the VCC. It is a fitting piece and text to describe the joy of making music together.