A lighthearted frolic, this cute trio has built-in stretchiness and amusing levity. The irregular phrase lengths heighten the sense of children’s dialogue, and the players reach consensus at the end with the silent extra beats creating pauses for group reflection.

joseph wilcox is a composer, recorder player and chamber music enthusiast in
Denver, Colorado, where he enjoys life in all lower-case letters.

The title of this piece comes from the poem, “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat.” Edward Lear wrote this little rhyme for a three-year-old, but even adults can appreciate its whimsy and delicacy. 

The poem tells the story of a couple (owl & cat) who sailed their “beautiful pea-green boat” to “the land where the Bong-Tree grows.” There they were married, and a celebration ensued:

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

The composition is intended to evoke the spirit of their dance.

-joseph wilcox