Steven Cohen approached me in September 2025 with the proposition of a new work for horn and piano, inspired by Whitman’s “To a Stranger”. The poem resonated with me immediately. Knowing that Whitman was gay gave the poem a personal poignancy. I saw something of myself in it; the obsessive feeling of having fallen hopelessly and completely for someone, but knowing how much you could lose. It is romantic, certainly, but also daunting: longing to surrender yourself entirely to another person, and the awareness of how vulnerable that makes you.

 

For me, the horn is one of the most romantic, expressive instruments, with a sound that is so evocative of desire. I was drawn to the idea of writing a Romance, in the long-established tradition of the Romanza—a lyrical, expressive, song-like instrumental piece. This work explores a luscious, heartfelt sense of romance and intimacy through the lens of my own musical language.

 

The music interpolates the ancient plainchant prayer Adoro te devote by Thomas Aquinas. Beyond  personal resonances it has for me, I love the way its words offer a declaration of complete devotion: “I devoutly adore you … My whole heart submits to you”. It evokes a similar emotional world to Whitman, and I liked the idea of using it as a secret code, threaded through the music.