an aching... like a memory is inspired by the bittersweet memories that may linger after a long-term relationship has ended on good terms. The break may have been necessary and will ultimately be better for each person, but the pain nevertheless persists, weaving its way into previously joyous memories to produce an altogether new feeling, one akin to mourning. The string orchestra begins the piece as if descending down into the mind’s recesses, recalling old moments in time. The solo clarinet then joins, soaring above the orchestra like a moment floating back into memory. The piece ends as the strings bring their melodic material back in, interwoven with the clarinet’s bittersweet musings.