Composition - - American Recorder Society
Wish I Were a Willie Wagtail
By Kass Finlay McAuliffe 2010 Arranged 2021
 
S A T B (or other combinations, including A T T T)
 
 
Composed in 2010 as an instrumental with landscape sound effects on one of my CDs, I rearranged this for SATB recorders in 2021. Willie Wagtails are small musical black-and-white Australian fantails and as this one hopped backwards and forwards over a fence rail, I thought what fun it would be to be so fit. So I captured the moment in this tune and accompaniment.
-- Kass Finlay McAuliffe
 
 
A flippant attitude will get you far with this easy 3-page song, with a sassy syncopated melody over a walking rhythm base. The Alto changes hats during the piece, starting in the rhythm band before joining the Soprano in harmony, and back again. Tenor has off-beat quarter-notes the whole way through, and could have fun adding articulation variety in key moments against the Bass’s strolling half-notes. You’ll want to go back to this piece at every meeting because it’s fun without being overly demanding technically. SATB can also fit on AATB, ATTB, ATTT if no B is available, as the lowest note in the bottom line is C.
-- Glen Shannon
 
 
No. of Recorder Parts:
4
Difficulty:
Easy
Occasion:
Any
Libraries:
New Music for Recorder, Arrangements and Transcriptions
Date Added:
06/05/2021
Style:
Social/Casual, Concert, Laid-back/Slow, Tonal/Melodic