Sukey, for string quartet, derives from a longer work scored for string quartet, children?s chorus, and narrator, Sukey and the Mermaid. With narration, Sukey and the Mermaid tells the story of a young girl?s encounter with a female water-spirit.? Based on a rare authenticated African-American folktale involving a mermaid, it also draws upon Caribbean folklore, hence the gentle reggae rhythms surfacing in the music. Sukey, in this condensed form for string quartet, may be performed as a prelude to Sukey and the Mermaid, or as a separate piece.