| Instrumentation: | 2122 / 2221 / timp(opt)+2perc / str + narrator |
| Duration: | 8' |
| Year Composed: | 2015 |
| Commissioner: | Connie Kaldor |
| Text: | A Duck in New York City (2003) by Connie Kaldor |
| Notes: | May be performed as a stand-alone work or as part of the children's symphonic show A Duck in New York City. |
A Duck in New York City, by multiple JUNO award-winning singer-songwriter Connie Kaldor, member of the Order of Canada, is the story of a prairie duck who realizes his dream of doing his ducky dance on Broadway. To the naysayers—and to himself—he repeats the mantra, "yes, I can!", and with a little help from Big Betty, a truck driver he meets along the way, he makes it to the city that never sleeps. Yes I Can! is an original, fast-paced, jazz-inflected and concise musical telling of this beloved children's story scored for small orchestra and narrator. A few motives bind the music together, notably the syncopated, rhythmic setting of the phrase, "YES-I-CAN". The piece may be performed on its own or as part of the children's symphonic show A Duck in New York City.
—R.R.
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