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A New Poem About Gritty Has Hit the Scene, Composed by Northern Liberties Woman
Jensen Toussaint of Philadelphia Today
June 18, 2024
Melissa Dunphy, a Northern Liberties resident and composer, has written a new poem about the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, Gritty, titled "A Gritty Resolution," writes Victor Fiorillo for Philadelphia Magazine.
The poem was first performed June 8 at Settlement Music School in Germantown.
It's a five-minute-long tribute to Gritty and a four-part choral work for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.
Dunphy was commissioned by PhilHarmonia, a local choir, to write the choral work and make sure it had a deep connection to Philadelphia.
From there, Dunphy solicited her Facebook friends for poems about Gritty before coming across the resolution that was introduced by former Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym in 2018. She thought Gym's resolution was the perfect fodder for her tribute.
"The result is a huge, bombastic hymn where every verse and chorus gets bigger and bigger, unashamedly schmaltzy and triumphant," Dunphy said of her composition.
Originally from Australia, Dunphy has never been to a hockey game as it isn't a prevalent sport in her native continent, nor is ice skating.
"But Gritty is the best thing ever," said Dunphy. "I would die for Gritty."