The Werewolf

One of the most unique pieces you will hear, this choral novelty on a text by the composer has a shocking opening followed by driving action with a frightening effect, even if a bit tongue-in-cheek. The angular melodies and harmonies, accompanied by the gripping piano part evoke the atmosphere of the vintage horror movies of the 1930s and '40s. Beyond the surface level, however, the piece explores the question: what would it really mean for a singing artist to be a werewolf? Perhaps it wouldn't mean a rampage of brutal murders like in the movies, but would mean gathering as a group, usually at night, and raising voices together in a sort of stylized group howl. Isn't that what we do as choral musicians? The unfolding drama depicts the once solitary wolf finding a home under the influence of the social instinct in real wolves, not monsters. "The Werewolf" can therefore take on an allegorical meaning, at the listener's discretion. It can be a metaphor for any individual's struggle with identity and acceptance, both within themselves and in relation to others. The specifics can be wide open to any interpretation. The character begins from a position of fear, and makes their way through frightening self-encounters to a place of acceptance, inclusion and belonging when they find their place, their people... their "pack."