This piece would not be alive without Katherine Breeden. Her poetry is the inspiration behind this piece. We all have love and passion molded and created in our souls. When that is threatened, those emotions can take on many forms.
 
Katherine approached me about wanting a piece that stated a message. We, as female clarinetists, finding our voice and our place in this career that men so heavily dominate. The clarinetist speaks stanzas and phrases from the poem to help set the story and the context. Then they are choking back words, trying to use their instrument to express them, until it bubbles over into complete chaos with screaming and yelling. This is how women have felt in this industry for so long, it can be hard to put actions/music/words/etc. to this moment.
 
Women/non-binary/gender non-conforming clarinetists are here and we belong.
 
 
Righteous Anger
by Katherine Breeden
 
Overturned tabernacle tables
Dust of Sodom and Gomorrah
A love pillar of salt
And fear of god’s righteous anger
 
What about my anger?
It is not your place
To cast the first stone
To level me with your fear
 
You call your constructs holy
Tout parable as fact
While you peddle indulgences
Your fear does not define my love
 
My love is unafraid
My anger is just
 
The closest thing we have to a god
is power over ourselves to enact change