English poet and painter William Blake’s “The Tyger” was published as part of his 1794 collection entitled Songs of Experience. He wrote the poem as a response to “The Lamb” from 1789’s Songs of Innocence. A philosophical man, Blake believed in the contrary nature of humanity and of life—good and evil, meekness and aggression, heaven and hell, innocence and experience. However, he saw these “contraries” as facets of the same truth, rather than opposing forces: The same God as fashioned the Lamb also brought forth the Tyger. While contrasting with the lyrical style of my other compositions, Tyger springs from the same source of inspiration: poetry. William Blake’s words leap off the page, and I wanted to create a musical experience that does the same. A tiger is thrilling and suspenseful by nature, reflected in the piece’s unexpected meter changes and articulation. Powerful unison writing in the vocal line allows for active collaboration with the piano, where one can hear pouncing accents and a growling left hand. Capturing the beauty of nature permeates all my work, and that beauty often has a “fearful symmetry”—the serenity of its scenery, and the fierceness of its inhabitants.