Flowers by the Sea (2019) by Kyle Hovatter
for flute, clarinet, and viola
World premiere; Earplay commission
Flowers by the Sea is based off of a poem by William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) and is dedicated to Sarah, my why and how.
Flowers by the Sea
by William Carlos Williams
When over the flowery, sharp pasture's
edge, unseen, the salt ocean
lifts its form—chicory and daisies
tied, released, seem hardly flowers alone
but color and the movement—or the shape
perhaps—of restlessness, whereas
the sea is circled and sways
peacefully upon its plantlike stem
— K. H.  
[from program for May 20, 2019 concert]