Cold Light is a term composer Benjamin Finley came up with to describe those winter days common in the western U.S. when the sky is clear, with the sun bright, distant, and low, and the air is dry, crystalline, and nearly always carried by a swift crosswind. Beautifully frozen and clean, cold light brings a bright outlook to even the most frigid days. The marimba solo that bears this moniker is equally clean and beautiful, with the accompanying percussion ensemble contributing to the brightness through the creative use of metals and even Native American drums. Written in a mix of meters, including some that are irregular, this work drives as if carried on one of those crosswinds to an energetic conclusion.