Beatch: a boy & a boy

In early 2019, my friend and poet Mathew Stepanic set out alongside fellow poet Jason Purcell with the ambitious plan to open Glass Bookshop a queer- focused bookstore & community space in Edmonton. As part of their fundraising campaign, I was able to commission a brand-new poem from Matthew - I asked him to write something unapologetically queer and romantic, taking inspiration from ‘A Boy and a Girl’, the poem by Octavio Paz famously set by Eric Whitacre.

This setting of ‘a boy & a boy’ was comissioned by Pro Coro Canada and Michael Zaugg in 2022. Matthew’s poem adapts the fresh imagery of the original to weave a new narrative of queer summer love becoming something more. My music is lush and direct, focusing on the beauty and emotional depth of this brief poem, and I hope that it will resonate deeply with audiences and singers alike. This score is dedicated to Matthew, with deepest respect and admiration, for his openness and generosity in our collaborations - I’m thankful to have now set 12 of his poems to music, and I hope to continue amplifying his beautiful queer artistry in the years to come.
(SB, 2022)