A Friend's Greeting sets Edgar Guest's poem of the same name, which expresses a

deep gratitude toward a dear friend, simply for being a part of the poet's life. My

intention with setting this text was to offer my own thanks to those who have supported

me through the hardest parts of my life with their friendship, not least of which has been

the past few years facing the hardships of a global pandemic. While originally written for

SATB chorus and Trombone Choir, I find the piano reduction to be equally capable of

communicating the love and gratitude that I intended.

This piece was premiered by the USC Thornton University Chorus at the 2021 USC

Winter Gala, a performance that had to be held virtually, due to the rising of yet another

variant of COVID-19. The work was directed by my dear friend and colleague, Stevie J.

Hirner, whose friendship and support was at the forefront of my thoughts while writing

the work. It is my deepest hope that, whosoever performs this piece in the future, either

director or singer, does so with someone in mind with whom they would like to share

their gratitude, and that such expression is not limited to the scope of the music on the

page, but takes shape every day in those peoples' lives.