The Sun Rising was composed for Akropolis by Patrick Holcomb, commissioned by Connecticut Summerfest, the second in a trilogy of new pieces we premiered at the Hartt School in June 2018.

The Sun Rising borrows its title from John Donne’s aubade of the same name. In Donne’s poem, the speaker mockingly chastises the sun, knowing that the coming of the day means that he will have to leave his lover’s side in bed. Although Donne’s poem has a much lighter tone than Patrick’s piece, both works have in common the themes of leaving home and the passage of time. The piece is a manifestation of Patrick’s intense feelings of sadness over the end of his time at Ithaca College and fear over the start of the next chapter in his life. The conclusion of the piece represents his acceptance that although the sun has risen and his time at Ithaca has come to an end, the sun always sets, and he will be back again someday.

Thank you, Patrick, for this wonderful piece and fabulous addition to the reed quintet repertoire!