In case any of you flautists are feeling neglected by not having parts in the madrigals, how about a brand new, original piece of music for flute quartet.
Four Flutes Flowing was written for Sue Pamp and her quartet of C Flutes. It started off a s just a simple piece, but soon grew into a three movement work around the idea of the flow of life, the connecting idea is a short alternating figure which features prominently in all three movements.
1. Spring: This movement depicts the birds and fowers in spring as the world comes to life after winter. halting at first, the new growth soon progresses to a hubbub of sound. The ending is not a typical cadence, because I didn't want it to feel finished or in any way complete.
2. Aurora: Named for the goddess of the dawn, strange harbinger of new beginnings. Aurora is ethereal and strange, difficult to pin down. Although the music is slow in tempo, the shifting harmonies make much use of dissonance to create a feeling of evanescence and instability.
3. Life Stream: A final joyous shout as life grows at an exponential rate, filling the air with joyful sounds. Don't let the 7/8 put you off. Although the tempo is sprightly, the rhythm does not shift from a rock steady 2+2+3. It is quite important, though, to make the difference between the staccato crotchets (quarters) and quavers (eighths).
