Fun and frolic abound in the sylvan imagery conjured up in this piece. While the composer describes for us a bucolic setting in the music, populated by birds, insects, and other animals large and small, as players we must endeavor to create that vision in the minds of the audience. For example, a significant change of tempo at the Più mosso (rehearsal letter C) might introduce new characters or a new scene. The composer’s instructions are deliberately sparse in order to encourage playing groups to invent their own interpretations.

On a side note, as an educator I am particularly pleased with the composer’s use of the key of A major, with its 3 sharps, which I advocate should be comfortably under the fingers of all recorder players.

-- Glen Shannon, Editor