Rejoice was written in two parts, the tune in 2015 and the lyrics in 2018. The main tune was written in a couple of days while I was out staying with a friend over Thanksgiving Break. The first setting of the tune was entered into a competition, and after I lost the competition, I decided to reset the tune to another setting and have plans to later publish it. Unfortunately, since I wasn’t able to secure copyright permission for the lyrics, I had to strip away every word away from the tune. Thus, the tune sat on my desk for almost three years. I approached the tune again when I was asked to reset the tune for this medium and ended up later rewriting the melody a bit. I also wrote a new set of lyrics to the tune of which I am happy to say, do more than justice to the tune and vice-versa. Based on the extent amount of work I did, and the fact that this is not an arrangement but a setting of a tune I reworked this summer, I have given 2018 as the year of composition and would ask that when printed on programs, 2018 and not 2015/2018 be written.

The atmosphere in this setting of my song is charming, heartwarming, and big and bold. When singing words, I ask that that people reflect on them. For those singing, I certainly believe there is a lot of joy in singing and would ask everyone to sing their hearts out, no matter who you are, where you come from, and who you want to be. I hope my song provides some comfort to many people and I hope the message behind it resonates to people, far and wide.