Blackbird
Written in 2012
Birdsong
Organ, and flute/piccolo
9 minutes
Difficulty level: Professional
This piece was originally written for Angela Purll, a blind organist and flautist. She sometimes sits in her garden early in the morning listening to the birds, and said she was beginning to recognise their different songs.
Someone once told me that they thought that birds singing at sunset were screaming in terror at the passing of the light. I recently read that birds in many cities sing at night because they must sing, and can no longer hear themselves in the daytime.
The piece is for piccolo doubling flute, and three-manual organ.
The Swell and Great manuals should be set to different flute stops. The Choir manual and pedals should be set to the eight and sixteen foot pipes, with stops which contrast with the flute sounds.
A series of weights will be needed to hold down the keys on the Choir manual.
It is assumed that these weights will be used from bar 79 onwards, and time has been allowed to add and remove them when required.