The Awakening Hour

The Awakening Hour was written to honor my friend Professor Jeffrey Renshaw and his retirement from the University of Connecticut. The title is drawn from Thoreau's Walden: “The morning, which is the most memorable season of the year, is the awakening hour.” As Thoreau remarks, “The morning is when I am awake and there is a dawn in me.” The vibrant “awakening” of the day’s first light emerging from the hills near my home in southern New Hampshire, was a continual source of inspiration for the music. – Joseph Schwantner