Stolen

Order includes the full score. Please note: PDFs cannot be printed.

Instrumentation: Solo cello

Duration: 5′ 32″ in 3 movements

Program Notes: Stolen (2016) is a sonatine of 3 short movements exploring the journey of a young girl who is sold into marriage. The first movement represents her stolen youth and the lamentation of sayinggoodbye to childhood. She is reflective of playtime, family memories and former dreams. Whileshe is remembering pleasantries, she is also recognizing they are things of the past. The second movement explores the anxiety and sense of urgency felt about being forced into womanhood. She is full of complex feelings ranging from fear, unpreparedness, resentment and sadness. She also knows she has to bravely and quickly become an adult and sooner than later, a young mother. The third movement is her reluctant acceptance of and submission to an undesired life. She has assumed her new role, but is deeply yearning for the childhood she barely had and to have ownership of herself. Despite this, she must tend to her adult responsibilities as a matter of life or death.

Today, one third of girls in the developing world are married before the age of 18 and 1 in 9 are married before the age of 15.

Commissioned by Amanda Gookin for The Forward Music Project.