Part of Me Hurtling Toward | SSAA Chorus & Piano | 6'
—Erica Reid
"Part of Me Hurtling Toward" from Ghost Man on Second (Autumn House Press). © 2024 by Erica Reid. Reprinted with permission of the author.
Click the above image for a downloadable version of this poem. When reprinting the poem for a program, please include the copyright information above.
Erica Reid’s poem “Part of Me Hurtling Toward” uses a poetic form invented by Kat Lehmann. In Lehmann’s “sudo-ku” form, a 5 x 5 grid creates haiku both horizontally and vertically. Setting these poems to music presents a challenge: How should a composer represent the 10 possible ways to read such a poem, as well as their fractured nature?
As a starting point, I created a musical grid setting each cell to music as a way to generate fractured and complete melodies. In the poem, I see a mind trapped in questioning, which is reflected here in a restless piano accompaniment. Ultimately, this piece is about recognizing and naming all parts of yourself—the anxious and painful questions, yes, but also the quiet, intuitive voice that answers (“oh, I see her!”).
Part of Me Hurtling Toward was premiered on May 2, 2025 by The Radcliffe Choral Society; Hana Cai, conductor; Sanders Theatre, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Commissioned by the Radcliffe Choral Society and the Radcliffe Choral Society Foundation in honor of the choir's 125th anniversary. This piece was made possible by the Beverly Taylor Fund for Soprano-Alto Choral Music.
—Dale Trumbore
