The original creation of Cleansing Fire existed as a string quartet in five movements, but there was an element to the original version that seemed to ask for a more symphonic setting. While the premiere and subsequent performances were profound, they lacked the scope I had hoped for in the dynamic arc of the piece. After many attempts at reorchestrating, it seems to have found a comfortable home in the saxophone quartet as a result of the ensemble's ability to play with grand dynamic power, incredible sensitivity, and delicacy.

This work is loosely based on the five stages of grief. It focuses on the emotional struggle of the healing process and how real growth is often painful, but leaves us inspired and revitalized. The first large section is a sonata form that confronts Denial and Anger. It is tightly structured but unpredictable--until it unravels. The second is a through-composed song with a slow dancing accompaniment that confronts Bargaining. It hints at hopefulness and the illusion of magical thinking. The third is an even slower ternary section that confronts Depression--more specifically the struggle just to breathe and the personal emotional judgment of burnout. It ends in a dark place that suddenly sparks the largest change in the piece--an arrival at Acceptance. This final section is where the piece takes its name. Rapidly dancing figures and long melodic lines fold over each other in constantly changing meter exhibiting emotional freedom and a shout for the joy of living that ends in a calming exhale.