Always

Description

Always

4 cellos
2026
18′
Commissioned by Ray and Leola Schreuers in celebration of their 75th wedding anniversary.
Premiere: Laura Sewell, Anna Clift, Jane Cords-O’Hara, Alex Chambers-Ozasky, St. Louis Park, Minn. 6/27/2026
To be published by Opus Imprints in 2026.
Score and 4 parts. (68pp)
A four-movement quartet for cellos, by turns meditative and dynamic.

Program note

Always, a quartet for cellos, was commissioned by Ray and Leola Schreurs in honor of their 75th wedding anniversary in 2026.  I wrote a trio, Diamond, for the couple’s 60th anniversary, and was honored to receive a request for a new work for their current celebration. Ray and Le’s son Darr was a cellist, so a cello quartet seemed a particularly meaningful ensemble for the occasion.

Laura Sewell, Jane Cords-O’Hara, Anna Clift, Alex Chambers-Ozasky rehearse Always.

Always unfolds in four movements. The first movement, “Through Wind and Water,” commemorates Ray’s World War Two service as a sailor in the Pacific. “Softshoe” is a gentle dance for two with a few modern touches. “LXXV” is of course the number 75, here expressed in so many chords of varying color and intensity. The finale gradually brings Irving Berlin’s classic tune, “Always,” into focus, until the title appears unmistakably in all caps: ALWAYS, ALWAYS!

Ray Schreurs died on June 15, 2026, just days after his 100th birthday. Always was premiered at his memorial service on June 27, 2026 in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, by Laura Sewell, Anna Clift, Jane Cords-O’Hara and Alex Chambers-Ozasky.