Commissioned by the Chamber Music Conference (CMC East)
Program note:
The original lyrics to the famous lullaby “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” were written by an English woman named Jane Taylor. While lullabies are generally sung to soothe babies, many lullabies include lyrics that have a darker or mysterious tone. Lullabies historically allowed mothers to express their own anxieties, sing about challenging life circumstances, and serve as subversive commentary. In reading the full poem of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” the lyrics resembled a metaphor for coming of age and not knowing what the future would hold. In this vein, I composed a remelodization of the original “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” theme to capture the wondrous yet uncertain nature of its lyrics. This piece, Twinkle, Twinkle, is based on this new melody, beginning melancholically and eventually progressing to a brighter, more expansive version of the theme. The piece also incorporates harmonics to capture these cosmic “diamonds in the sky” twinkling and guiding us through life’s uncertainty.
Performances:
July 30th, 2025
Chamber Music Conference Musicale
Performed by Natasha Chriss (violin), Shu-Hong Lin (violin), Angelina Freeman (viola), & Anne Taylor (cello)
Colgate Memorial Chapel (Colgate University), Hamilton, NY
