Stolen for solo cello

Commissioned by Amanda Gookin

PROGRAM NOTE

Stolen is a sonatine of three short movements exploring the journey of a young girl who is sold into marriage. The first movement represents her stolen youth and the lamentation of saying goodbye to childhood. She is reflective of playtime, family memories and former dreams. While she is remembering pleasantries, she is also recognizing they are things of the past. The second movement explores the anxiety and sense of urgency felt about being forced into womanhood. She is full of complex feelings ranging from fear, unpreparedness, resentment and sadness. She also knows she has to bravely and quickly become an adult and sooner than later, a young mother. The third movement is her reluctant acceptance of and submission to an undesired life. She has assumed her new role, but is deeply yearning for the childhood she barely had and to have ownership of herself. Despite this, she must tend to her adult responsibilities as a matter of life or death.

Today, one third of girls in the developing world are married before the age of 18, and 1 in 9 are married before the age of 15.

Stolen was commissioned by Amanda Gookin as part of her Forward Music Project.

— Allison Loggins-Hull