In Songs of Innocence I have set William Blake’s collection of nineteen illustrated poems of the same name to
music for soprano and piano. Blake’s poetry explores various aspects of childhood, primarily through an idyllic
lens. He utilizes recurring motivic themes including joy, pastoral scenes, and sleep, each of which are mirrored
musically. But Blake also subtly shows the vulnerability and naivety of those with an innocent state of mind. Darker themes such as child labor, abandonment, poverty, racism, religion, and death are also explored. Each of

these motives are mirrored musically, and attention to their use may enhance your experience.

I originally set six of these poems for soprano Marci Jackson in 2009. Over the years, several of the other poems
kept calling to me that they needed to be set as well, but I was consumed with other projects. During the
pandemic, I became a stay-at-home father for my two sons, during which I took a hiatus from composing. These
works are very personal for me, as they serve as both an encapsulation of my time with my boys, and a

springboard back into composing again.