for clarinet & fixed media
available on the album West Meets East
The Monkey King (Sun Wukong) is one of the the most beloved characters from Chinese legend. In the most famous telling, he accompanies the monk Xuanzang as he travels the famous Journey to the West to bring the Buddhist scriptures from India to China.
Monkey King Versus the Spider Wizard tells the tale of how Sun Wukong rescues Xuanzang from the Spider Demons (蜘蛛精). The Spider Demons disguise themselves as seven sisters living in a thatched hut in the Silk Cave. When Xuanzang stumbles upon them while begging for alms, they trap him in spider silk that they shoot from their navels. They are bested in battle by Sun Wukong who frees Xuanzang.
Justin Merritt 