Sometimes we see patterns as events unfold in our lives. Departures was written following and during a time when I witnessed a number of people leaving—moving away, taking a different path in life, or leaving this life altogether. A single, sighing motive unites all three sections of this piece. It is heard right away in the flutes, takes a yearning tone in the middle section, and returns wistfully at the end of the piece. As with every departure in life, one is left wondering what the arrival will be like.

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