Cherise Leiter: Pairings, The Lion and the Bee

Commissioned by Natalie Groom in 2025 and premiered September 2025, "Pairings" by Cherise Leiter explores mutualistic relationships between specific groupings of insects and plants.

Performers:
Natalie Groom, clarinet
Kat Robinson, horn
Qun Ren, bassoon

Pairings is a trio for flexible instrumentation inspired by the mutualistic relationships between specific groupings of insects and plants and the need to do our part to help protect this delicate balance of nature. Each of the movements also involves the exploration of a meter or metric grouping that is less common.

The Yucca plant and Yucca moth are completely dependent on each other since only the Yucca moth can pollinate a Yucca, and its larvae depends on the seeds for food. This is represented in Yucca2, an animated movement in 7/8 with a contrasting lyrical section in 6/8.

The well-documented relationship between the Monarch butterfly and the Milkweed plant which hosts its larvae is the inspiration for the second movement. This is a slow, melodically driven movement in 5/4.

Dandelions are often one of the first plants to flower each spring, and as such provide crucial food for early pollinators, and bees are some of their first customers. The opening and closing sections of this movement move between 3/4 and 8/8 (grouped in a 3+3+2 pattern), while a delicate waltz in 3/4 comprises the middle section.

There are a number of different plants that have a reciprocal relationship with ants. These plants are called Myrmecophytes or ‘ant-plants.’ The plants provide food and shelter for the ants, and the ants vigorously defend the plant from other insects and animals. This last movement is in a rondo form. The first section is marked ‘Busy’ and is in 9/8, but grouped in a 2+2+2+3 pattern. The second section, ‘Resting,’ is in the traditional 9/8 grouping of 3+3+3. The ‘Busy’ section returns briefly before moving into a martial section in 2/4 and 5/8 marked ‘Angry.’ The opening returns once again as the piece closes.