Program Notes:

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For centuries, man has considered the wolf to be a fierce, frightful enemy. Generation after generation learned scary stories about wolves and their horrible deeds. Surely, these stories were based on real events, but the result was a massive extinction of the wolf population and an endless number of tales of brave individuals annihilating them.

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In that spirit, Peter and the Wolf came to life. The child, who does not listen to his grandfather's advice, manages through swiftness and cleverness to catch the "bad" wolf.

In the last 20 years, there has been a revival. Wolves are now "allowed" to return to their natural habitat, the woods, and humans are learning to live again alongside wolves. In this spirit, Brave Little Timmy came to life. The libretto is based in part on the legend of Saint Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio, along with Native American reflections on the relationship between humans and animals.

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Timmy is eight years old. Every night, when everyone in the village is asleep, he hears the distant howls of a wolf. He howls back and the two communicate. Timmy knows he has a wolf-friend somewhere. One morning, the villagers realize that a wolf has visited them and devoured one of their sheep. Angrily, they decide to hunt the wolf. Timmy decides to warn the wolf. He sneaks out of the village and heads toward the woods. During his adventurous day, he meets an old hunter who is very proud of the number of wolves he has caught in his life. Timmy also encounters a bear who, in contrast to the hunter, has a "live and let live" philosophy.

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When Timmy meets the wolf (not without inner conflict), he discovers a she-wolf cub. The wolf has lost her entire family to the old hunter. No one taught her how to hunt, so she is hungry and sneaks into the village. Wolves from other packs would not accept her – she is all alone.

Timmy finds a solution. He returns to the village while riding on the wolf's back and, after much hubbub and persuasion, convinces the villagers to adopt the wolf cub into their community. The community is happy to do a good thing and singles out Timmy as a brave kid.

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Timmy's brave act resonates with children and adults alike, as the story encourages finding quiet, peaceful, and respectful ways to bridge various conflicts in life.