Higdon described her inspiration for the work in the score program notes, writing:I have always been struck by the range of power and beauty that comes from saxophones.
I have seen a sax quartet bring a large school room filled with hundreds of children come to a complete halt with one tutti note.
Because the saxophone has more power to it than an oboe, I thought that this instrument would balance the accompanying ensemble quite well, but give listeners a chance to hear its exquisite beauty.
[1]In a later interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Higdon described the composition an "airplane-hotel project," remarking, "I had the piece on my laptop, and I could work on it while I was sitting in a lobby or an airport terminal.
He added, "The single-movement concerto consisted of long stretches of ever-evolving melisma, with phrases cleverly imitated by other solo instruments in a way that seemed to weave a tapestry to the glory of melody.