" 'Aria' was conceived to be exactly that - an aria - a lush and melodic interlude in a concert of angular, frenetic recitative. It is a piece I imagined played in the middle of a trombone choir concert. Like an operatic aria, my Aria has a dramatic soloist. My desire to write something gorgeous for trombone choir, and that I was playing lots of opera at the time of its composition, made 'Aria' a great concept."