This composition was commissioned for the 50th Anniversary of the Alberta Choral Federation and premiered at the Alberta Children's Choir Gala Concert in 2012.
"Each of the three movements is really a miniature with a central musical idea and individual style. The intention was to emulate art song in the sense of a true partnership between the voices and piano, and an emphasis on as tight a relationship between the music and text as possible: the delicacy of the Humming Bird, the profound grief of the Widow Bird, the bold joy of Be Like a Bird. Stylistically, the pieces loosely reference, (in order), early 20th century impressionism, 19th century romanticism and 1970's funk. Most importantly, I have tried to create music for children that they will love to sing; that appeals to their voices and imaginations." --Sheila.
