The Canticles of Solomon , a musical drama written for tenor, mezzo soprano, chamber orchestra, and full chorus, is a three movement piece, 25 minutes in length. It is intended for performance without scenery, costume, or action. The fundamental element is text. The source text is The Song of Solomon from the Ryrie Study Bible. The text is cross referenced and used in the formal structure of the work. Each time a cross-referenced entry of text is reached, the melodic theme or rhythmic motive is found according to the appropriate theme category in which the specific text is placed. There are twelve theme categories. The melodic themes have differing levels of tonality. The formal structure is cyclically through-composed.