Ballad of the Ill by Alicia Santee-Davis

"Ballad of the Ill" is a three-movement work that illustrates the story of a serial killer, exploring the dark and gritty side of humanity that is often overlooked. The first movement, "Obsession," is divided into two sections: the first half portrays the killer’s docile obsessive nature, dominated by an ominously bitter pulsing rhythm; the second half is much faster and more rampant, because the killer has seen his prey – his obsession becomes her heartbeat. As the second movement begins, the title, "Glassy Eyes," not only indicates the victim’s lifelessness, but also the series of emotions our killer travels through, and the state of his eyes in each – shock, anger, sadness, but also excitement and elation, because her death has been his desire since he first saw her. The finale of the piece, "Electric Straitjacket," provides as vivid an image as the title suggests. Our lovable murderer has been arrested and sentenced to death. He spends the final movement in fear and anticipation of his execution, realizing, as the time draws nearer, that he has no way out. Unlike most sane people, however, he does not realize that what he has done is wrong. He remains too selfish and preoccupied with his own fate that his death comes suddenly and with a fierce intensity that is mirrored in the music. The final moments of the piece come from an entirely different perspective than what has been seen thus far: that of the watcher, who has been present all along, reflecting on the killer in an introspective lament. The piece was premiered in February 2012 by Scott O'Toole, percussion, and the composer at the piano.