The Snow Fairy borrows its text from Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay (1889-1948), who wrote the poem of the same name in 1922.

The Snow Fairy consists of two sonnets. In the first sonnet, the narrator speaks of the beauty of snowfall, describing the journey snow takes from floating through the sky to peacefully resting on the ground below, and how the snow melts away and leaves as if it were part of a dream. In the second sonnet, the narrator begins referring to a supposed lover, who brings happiness and warmth to the narrator, but in the end, leaves just as quickly and dream-like as the snow in the first sonnet.

This piece was commissioned in 2021 by Dr. Bianca Hall for the Madrigals Singers ensemble at Old Dominion University’s Diehn School of Music. It was then premiered in April 2021 during a virtual concert by the Old Dominion University Madrigals Singers.