Joie de vivre means "joy of living" and is a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life, an exultation of spirit, and general happiness.

Composition is always a bit of a mystery. This just arrived, pretty much fully formed. Then, I got stuck. Seriously stuck. I stayed stuck for well over a year, and the piece remained unfinished. Eventually, I got myself unstuck by stumbling onto a modulation/progression that seemed to solve the puzzle. This happens around the three-minute mark. Composition is really just about 'playing with sound' and sometimes, solutions can be found just tinkering about.

The piece is in 3/4 time and like its name, it's exuberantly optimistic in tone.

Instrumentation: 2 Piccolos, 3 Flutes, 3 Oboes, English Horn in F, E-Flat Clarinet, 3 Clarinets in A, B-Flat Bass Clarinet, 3 Bassoons, Contra Bassoon, 4 French Horns in F, 4 B-Flat Trumpets, 2 Trombones, Bass Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, Timpani(4), Tambourine, Snare Drum, Orchestral Crash Cymbals, Bass Drum, Wood Block, Bell Tree, Glockenspiel, 2 Harps, Solo Violin, Violin I, Violin II, Violas, Celli, Double Basses