The world premiere of Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking took place in Cincinnati on Friday, May 21, 2010. 

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Krouse’s text comes from Walt Whitman’s “Sea Drift,” a cycle of poems about the sea from his famous compilation “Leaves of Grass.”  According to Krouse’s program note, "'Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking' is about “a mockingbird who, having inexplicably lost its mate, cries out to the sea for understanding and solace.” He describes his setting as “a primordial outpouring of deep longings.”