Orchestration
flute and soprano

Commissioned by
SydeBoob Duo (Sarah Steranka, flute; Anna Elder, soprano) at Scholes Street Studio in New York City, NY (August 9, 2026)

Program Notes

This piece is a setting of a poem by my mother, Sheila Duane. It is a visceral depiction of rage externalized through the act of breaking a window with a rock. I was immediately taken with the poem when I first encountered it in 2025. When I was given the opportunity to write a new work for the SydeBoob Duo, I immediately knew that I wanted to set this text.
 

The compositional language of the piece reflects the poem’s sentiment.. The music emphasizes movement and force translate the poem’s imagery into equally visceral expression. The flute oscillates between varying levels of pitch and breath, which lend a strong sense of physicality to the part that is reflective of the text. Meanwhile, the vocal writing moves rapidly in range, dynamic, and timbre, embodying the volatility inherent to the actions described in the poem. The combination of these two parts creates an effect that fully embodies the text.