“Adelaide Whitaker commissioned ‘The Sunflowers’ as a gift to her voice teacher Thomas Houser, who introduced her to the joys of poetry and specifically to the poetry of Mary Oliver. Mary Oliver’s work presented unique challenges because her poems were longer and more complex than much of the poetry I had previously set. Richly atmospheric, these songs run the gamut of tempos and moods. ‘The Sunflowers’ opens with a swaying piano accompaniment meant to portray sunflowers standing in a field.”

–Lori Laitman