Inspired by the night sky in the composer’s home state of Michigan, At Evening’s First Star takes listeners on a journey starting with a single star on the horizon and ending with a sky full of shimmering lights. This is a wonderful follow-up to Gillingham's popular work "At Morning's First Light."

Program Notes

On a clear, warm summer evening in Michigan, I have often marveled at the appearance of the first bright star appearing at dusk. As the darkness increases, more stars appear until there are thousands of mini lights peppering the evening sky. Many of them actually twinkle throughout the night. It is truly a beautiful and wondrous event that I am sure most of us take for granted. The expanse of the universe is infinite and it is hard for us to get our minds around that fact. At Evening’s First Star is inspired by the beauty of this nightly occurrence by transcending words and expressing the event through music. The work is programmatic, beginning with the wonderment of the coming of the night, progressing to the glowing of the first bright star, and blossoming into thousands of lights in the warm summer sky. The work ends with the calm satisfaction of having experienced something truly beautiful.