performed by

Ricky Graham

as the Pelican

& John Reeks,

bass clarinet/clarinet;

with Gabriel Platica

& Kate Withrow, violins:

Bruce Owen, viola;

David Rosen, cello

& Jesse Reeks, piano

words & music ©2010

by William Vollinger

videography by

John Reeks

This work was commissioned by

John Reeks and composed while

the oil spill was still going on in

the Gulf of Mexico. It was first

performed at Loyola University,

New Orleans, LA on October 14,

2010. The first half of the piece is

a description by the Pelican in

his own rather sassy words of

the lengthy process of getting

cleaned up after being covered

in oil. But in the second half of

the work the Pelican takes his

identity as the traditional self sacrificing symbol of Christ. The

piece also uses material from the

“Chaconne for Unaccompanied

Violin” by J. S. Bach.

PART 1:

PART 2: