Melissa Dunphy

Commissioned by PhilHarmonia
Mitos Andaya Hart, artistic director
Funded by individual donors and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund

"The result is a huge, bombastic hymn where every verse and chorus gets bigger and bigger, unashamedly schmaltzy and triumphant," Dunphy says of her composition. [Philadelphia Magazine]

"But Gritty is the best thing ever," said Dunphy. "I would die for Gritty." [Philadelphia Today]

"The earnest, hymnlike quality of the song contrasted ridiculously with phrases like 'a ghastly empty-eyed Muppet with a Delco beard' and 'Sleep with one eye open tonight, bird.'" [The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Note from the Composer

I love Philadelphia passionately, so when Philharmonia approached me to write them a Philly-themed song, I couldn't say yes fast enough. I was tossing around a few options for lyrics when I noticed a protest sign emblazoned with Gritty's face that I keep on my piano's music stand, and I suddenly knew what I had to compose. Former Philharmonia singer Michael LeVasseur reminded me of Helen Gym's 2018 City Council resolution welcoming Gritty, and the music came pouring out! Gritty is the perfect embodiment of everything I adore about this city and its culture, and even though I know nothing about hockey, I would fight to the death to defend him. All hail Gritty, and the best city in the world!


A Gritty Resolution
Adapted by Melissa Dunphy from "A Resolution" by Helen Gym,
Philadelphia City Councilmember At Large
October 25, 2018

At first, I was disgusted.
I was like, what the hell is this?
Why did you do this?
Why is this a thing?
It was like an hour after that
I fell in love with him.

A deranged orange lunatic,
a fuzzy eldritch horror,
a ghastly empty-eyed Muppet with a Delco beard,
a shaggy grotesquerie,
a non-binary leftist icon,
a raging id,
and an antihero.

Gritty floated from the rafters
into our hearts and minds,
weaving his googly-eyed stare, maniacal smile,
and passion for hockey and hot dogs
into our deep subconscious.
We rose to his defense and claimed him as our own.

Gritty conveys the struggle of modern life under capitalism.
Gritty a source of joy in a time of societal upheaval.
Like our steadfast commitment to justice in the face of adversity,
Gritty will not be mocked or stopped.

An acid trip of a mascot,
ridiculous, horrifying, unsettling, and absurd.
Sleep with one eye open tonight, bird.

Gritty may be a hideous monster,
but he is our own.

Artwork by Matt Dunphy.

Performances

• 17 Nov, 2024: Penn Chorale at St. Mary's Church, Hamilton Village, Philadelphia, PA
• 16 Nov, 2024: PhilHarmonia at Parkway Central Library, Philadelphia, PA
• 08 Jun, 2024: PhilHarmonia at Settlement Music School - Germantown, Philadelphia, PA