This frenetic duet in 7/8 is founded on ten iterations of the Morse Code for the "Mayday" distress signal (from French "Venez m'aidez," "Come Help Me.") The odd meter, brisk tempo, preponderant dissonances, and the shrillness of the sopranino recorders impart urgency and distress. There are no significant technical complications. The coda (ad infin.) maybe be played over as desired, gradually fading away, perhaps as performers recede from the performance space. Duration: 1:00 Players are encouraged to investigate another of the composer's Morse-based works, S-O-S (SATB), in the Members' Library Editions (No. 30).
Scott Paterson and the composer play on the accompanying recording.