Program notes: Waiting by the Village Gate is a reference to the famous NYC nightclub that regularly featured some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. In this case, the Village was a reference to the “village” in the city. But it could have also been a reference to some place less urban—which I chose to interpret by allowing the influence of a Greek clarinet style from the isle of Epirus to help form the musical language of this piece for solo clarinet. The title is also in reference to one of the clarinetists I wrote this for: Canadian Patricia Wait. The other is American clarinetist, Evan Ziporyn—also a composer— who influenced the music with his indefatigable rhythmic way of playing. Both premiered the work in their respective countries.