Joy Despite All was composed for violist Keith Hamm and cellist Julie Hereish for painter Catherine Maunsell as the result of a “trade”: an original painting for an original piece of music. The work was premiered as a part of Keith and Julie’s Debut Atlantic tour of the maritimes provinces in the fall of 2022.
It has since been performed many times, including as part of a program of new music presented by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Keith and Julie performing, on October 16, 2025.
The performance video below was recorded live on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026 in the Joseph Strug Concert Hall at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This performance was part of a “portrait concert” of my recent works co-presented by Scotia Festival and Dalhousie; featuring cellist Rachel Desoer and myself on viola.
Joy Despite All for viola and cello (2022) - 4’30”
Program Note
Joy Despite All for viola and cello was commissioned in an unusual way. In December 2021, while rehearsing at Heliconian Hall in Toronto, I encountered an art exhibition by painter Catherine Maunsell. One work in particular drew my eye over the course of the week: a vibrant and richly coloured piece called Joy Despite All. I loved the painting and imagined it on my wall at home, but it was out of my price range.
As the week went on I had the idea to contact Catherine with an audacious proposal. Would she be interested in a trade? What if I composed a piece inspired by her painting in exchange for the artwork itself? To Catherine’s credit, she was excited by the idea and agreed! Around that same time, violist Keith Hamm reached out to me about writing a new work for him and cellist Julie Hereish. The idea clicked instantly: my Joy Despite All would be written for them.
The resulting composition is a short theme and variations that expresses what I found to be at the core of Catherine’s title: glimpses of joy emerging from darkness. The main theme emerges in the viola from a dark and resonant texture, making use of the instruments’ lower registers. The first variation then starts to flow, the theme trading between the two instruments in counterpoint and ending with an unexpected cadenza in the viola. The second variation alternates between bright outbursts and hesitant forward motion, before twice settling into a wistful rendition of the theme. The third variation is suddenly faster, fiddle-inspired, rhythmic, exuberant, and joyful. Finally, the theme returns in a new harmonic area, casting a mysterious new light on the material.
Joy Despite All is both a musical ekphrasis of a painting and a celebration of the unexpected ways art can connect people (even different artists to each other!). I am happy to say that I am still in touch with Catherine and that her painting, Joy Despite All, is one of my most prized possessions.