Can there be any day but this?

SATB divisi, 5’30”

This composition is my reflection on taking in a special moment in a garden, sometimes wishing for time to slow down for that juncture to be enjoyed for just that bit longer. In the poem, the narrator meets his beloved, decorating her path with flowers and boughs. He compares her beauty with that of the rising sun, and emphasises that the only day that matters is the present day spent together. Though the flowers wither away, his heart remains true.

Commissioned by the Singapore Symphony Choruses, premiered 23 May 2023, dir. Wong Lai Foon.