Transformations, Suite no. 2 (2016)

Back in 2007, I wrote a set of miniatures for flutist Sophia Tegart and bassoonist Helena Spencer inspired by selected poems from Anne Sexton’s Transformations. The poems are retellings of fairy tales from the around the world, distilled through Sexton’s wry, dark, and often disturbing sensibilities. About eight years later, the duo approached me about writing a second set, and this work is the result of our collaboration. While the first set focused on poems based on fairy tales I knew and loved from childhood, this set explores tales that were new to me (or at least not familiar). This composition was commissioned by the Blue Box Ensemble, generously supported by a Charles L. Cahill Grant from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.