Purchase All That Remains

Date Composed: April, 2023

Instrumentation: Clarinet and Marimba

Duration: Approx. 15:50

Watch Live Premiere: Andy DeBoer and Tommy Dobbs, ICA Clarinetfest 2023

Click here to watch a short film about the true story inspiring this piece

Program Notes

The inspiration behind this piece began with a nostalgic thought about the impermanence of things on this earth. Everything changes over time, no matter how hard we try to hold onto the past. People and places from our childhood only still exist, unchanged, in our memories, and our memory of a thing can never match that thing in reality.  I was struggling to put my thoughts into words, let alone music, until I had the incredible gift of spending the day with my dear friend, who was diagnosed with an aggressive and late-stage form of cancer last year.  Speaking with her about the piece I was writing, while also listening to her story of courage and faith, inspired me to quickly organize my thoughts and finish the piece.  

The piece is in three movements, which are continuous: I. Faith, II. Hope, and III. Love. Movement I describes our journey through life: the busy-ness of life, going along at break-neck speeds, until a trial comes along.  Mvt. II is about survival and the processing of complex emotions while experiencing grief, through which we ultimately find hope and the courage to continue on our journey.  Mvt. III is about simplifying our lives, realizing the important things in life, reflecting on the things which have changed, and relying on others’ help to continue onward. All that remains, in the end, is love. 

“All That Remains” was commissioned by The University of Arkansas, Fort Smith for the Wind and Wood Duo, Andrew DeBoer and Tommy Dobbs. It will be premiered at the 50th Anniversary of the ICA, July 2023, in Denver, CO.

-Theresa Martin, April 2023