Names comes from a cycle of 11 a cappella choral pieces derived from Early Moon, a collection of poetry by Carl Sandberg. The images in these simple, direct lyrics have a depth and resonance that all but cry out for musical expression. Names is the first piece in the cycle, and it simply, like a small child, names things; names them with a growing awareness of their generality, and their unity. A horse is more than an individual horse; fish, birds, men, woemn, children: they are, all of them, something larger than they seem; and they are named All God's children.