Premiered by the Old Dominion University Symphony Orchestra, Paul Kim, conductor.

Tema

Var. 1: Canon

Var. 2: Fanfare

Var. 3: Klangfarbenmelodie

Var. 4: Retrograde

Var. 5: Mozart

Var. 6: Bach

Var. 7: Bachata

Var. 8: Celtic

Var. 9: Finale

This work is dedicated to my daughter, Jennifer. The theme is a melody that my husband wrote for her when she was just days old, which has the accompanying lyrics: “You’re strong, you’re smart, all you need is a little time. Strong body, strong mind, strong heart divine. Your soul is blessed to be wise and kind. You’re strong, you’re smart and I know you’ll be fine.”  Each variation uses either a traditional compositional technique for developing a melody (the melody heard in a round, backwards, or broken up into parts), or embodies some other musical genre. Two variations quote melodies by Mozart and Bach, each of which we heard playing on the mobile above her crib every day in the first months of her life. Two other variations are a tribute to her heritage: one a bachata from the Dominican Republic to represent her father’s background, and the other a Celtic rendition to represent my Scottish one.  A finale brings the full orchestra together to play the melody in its original form.