| Programme notes: | rara avis (c) is an arrangement of rara avis for treble recorder, which is in its turn a reworking of the top line of the piano piece You done torn your playhouse down (1996).
It consists of a melodic arch, initially featuring the kind of echo effects common in 17th century woodwind music, which gradually blossoms into a highly ornamented final section.
The title rara avis ("rare bird") refers to the recorder's traditional role in teaching birds to sing (and to the rarity of recorder players who advocate new music). The original recorder piece was written between April and May 1996 and revised in 2003. The arrangement for tenor saxophone was made on 18th June 1998 and revised on 2nd February 2013. There is a further version for Eb clarinet.
JE |
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