This piece is a rarity, a commissioned piece that went in a suite for local artist and good friend Ted Godwin.  The three pieces in the suite are Wild Rice, Lily Pads and Summer Breezes.  They were taken apart as stand alone pieces and only this and Summer Breezes were arranged for octet. Wild Rice was inspired by a trilogy of paintings that were given to Bob as inspiration for the melodies of the commissioned music.  The composer used the line of the mountains and landscape to imply the movement of the melody.  The piece took about 3 months to complete and it was sad when the paintings had to go back to Ted.  The premiere performance of this suite was Nov 1986 at Canadian Art Galleries in Calgary AB.

-Jessica Erlendson van Remmen