The original version of Wet Ink (2008) for violin and piano was commissioned by the San Francisco-based composers’ collective, COMPOSERS INC, for its 25^th Anniversary season.  When I was asked by pianist Xak Bjerken of Cornell’s Ensemble X to contribute a piece to the Steven Stucky 60^th birthday celebration concert on November 7, 2009, I couldn’t resist making a version of Wet Ink for nine instruments:  2 flutes, 2 clarinets, piano and string quartet.  Steve is a dear friend going back more than twenty years, and he has at times shared with me the ‘ink still wet’ nature of some of his commissions as he turns them in.  Wet Ink is a celebration of ink-not-yet-dry music, freshly made works launched each season by this wonderful composer and friend for several decades and counting.  This version for nine instruments was completed in October, 2009, lasts just a bit over six minutes and is cast in a back-for-another-year (one to grow on) ritornello form.    - Donald Crockett