Sacred Profanity uses materials from Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Hildegard’s O Ecclesia, inspired by the legend of St. Ursula, as a point of departure. Depending on his or her familiarity with these pieces, the listener will occasionally hear blatant quotes of both works, but more often than not, I borrowed the more abstract elements (textures, gestures, tempi, and moods) from both works where I felt it appropriate. In this way, the piece is sort of a parody of the combination of two completely antithetical works.

Sacred Profanity is a work in 12 sections that roughly follow the sequence of sections in the Rite of Spring as well as the 12 verses of O Ecclesia. Some of the movements, however, are performed attacca so that the piece may be perceived as 7 movements as follows:

I. Lento liberamente (attacca)
II. Barbarically funky

III. Presto Furioso (attacca)
IV. Sostenuto e pesante

V. Allegro (attacca)
VI. Still Allegro

VII. Loud, raucous

VIII. Very slowly and freely

XI. Humorously

X. Vivaciously rockin’ (attacca)
XI. Lento (attacca)
XII. Driving

Sacred Profanity was composed for Douglas Rubio and was completed on July 16, 2003.