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Cat!
Text from "To Mrs. Reynolds' Cat" by John Keats (1795–1821)
voice (G3–E5), clarinet, percussion, piano | Christina Acton | $20.00
Written for my radiant and perfectly flamboyant friend Christina Acton, this is a silly ode to the grungey, old cat in your neighbourhood with a torn ear or a missing eye. This cat is, by every definition, ugly, but you know that somewhere amid all that ratty fur, there lies stories of joy that this creature has brought to the lives of the local townsfolk. There is beauty in its aged and weathered body, because you know that if he's letting you pet him he doesn't care how you look.
This song is lovingly dedicated to Donald, a Sackville cat. While his ears may be intact and he still has two eyes, he embodies the simple joy that an old cat can bring into our lives.
Video: premiere performance by Christina Acton, Owen Switzer, Noah Batten and Caitlin Strong, April 10 2022, Brunton Auditorium, Mount Allison University.
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