Dog Chronicles

Dog Chronicles for Flute, Clarinet, Soprano and Piano by Catherine McMichael

Parts and Score

A Starving Dog; The Dog’s Book of Virtues; Puppy Love; Boys, Dogs and Mothers; Dog Heaven

In “A Starving Dog”, the first movement, the melody is tossed and layered from one player to another. “The Dog Book of Virtues” combines elements from many sources such as Ann Landers, Lord Byron, and a gravestone of a Newfoundland dog. “Puppy Love” is also an amalgam of five pithy sayings. “Boys, Dogs and Mothers” strikes a familiar chord if you’ve ever been a parent of a child who wants a pet. “Dog Heaven” is the benediction of the piece. It strives to express the longing our hearts have for our pets to be with us forever, and to be able to spend eternity in an innocent world determined by them. The melody is presented four times so each member of the ensemble can enjoy playing it.

Dedicated to all the wonderful animals that have enriched and enlivened our time on earth. Each movement is set to a text that portrays a smorgasbord of ideas: the essence of dogs, their role in our lives, comparisons to people, and our passion for them. May be performed a variety of ways, perhaps with spoken words and an additional flute playing the soprano part.