- Butterflies - 2009

Program Note:
When we think of butterflies, we envision a brightly colored insects zigzagging aimlessly across a meadow, unhurried and even a bit ditzy. Butterflies are more than that. They are purposeful, aggressive, and smarter than you think. There are more that 15,000 species of butterfly worldwide. Some are carnivorous. Some have a wingspan of over 12 inches and have been known to attack birds. They are capable of an astonishing range of clever behaviors, from thwarting attacks to outwitting competitors. Butterflies have been part of human life and folklore since the beginning of civilization. The goddess Psyche of Greek mythology was half-human, half-butterfly. Butterflies were used to decorate the tombs of Rome. Native Americans used them to decorate headdresses, and the British built butterfly atriums.
The composition, Butterflies, opens with a peaceful and serene musical setting that fits the title and our general impression of butterflies. However, as the piece progresses, we hear material that describes the butterflies we don’t know...

- completed October 27th, 2009