Profaning the Sacred for flute/alto flute/voice and bass clarinet/clarinet

Profaning the Sacred for flute/alto flute/voice and bass clarinet/clarinet was written at the request of Richard Nunemaker, bass clarinetist of the Houston Symphony, who wanted me to write a work which we could perform together. The work is oriented around an idea: the sacred as profane, and vice versa. These concepts are reflected in the texts: “Howl,” by Allen Ginsberg; and “Blooz Man,” and “Poet Woman” by Chicago poet Regie Gibson.  The Ginsberg text speaks of the biblical god, Moloch, to whom children were sacrificed, as a monster created by our political system; the Gibson text continues the theme of hatred inspired by religious dogma but finds strength in opposition through the words of  “Poet Woman”. Profaning the Sacred treats the voice as an adjunct to the flute, a third instrument, one with a sound often covered or colored by the flute. The text is thus like words in a visual collage–some words and phrases are clear, while others are only implied.  The actual text can be either performed before the music or read ahead of time. More abstract sections of the piece present instrumental ideas related to the text. (Janice Misurell-Mitchell)