it was snowing butterflies

(2017)

for solo harp

Shortlisted and performed as part of 2017 The Future Blend Project.

  • Sophie Rocks (harp) at Lord Leycester Hospital, Warwick (UK) on 7 January 2017.

  • “[ … ] at other times when off the shores of Northern Patagonia, we have surrounded by insects. One evening, when we were about ten miles from the Bay of San Blas, vast numbers of butterflies, in bands or flocks of countless myriads, extended as far as the eye could range. Even by the aid of a glass it was not possible to see a space free from butterflies. The seaman cried out ‘it was snowing butterflies’, and such in fact was the appearance.” Charles Darwin; ‘Patagonia’ from The Voyage of the Beagle (1839)

    After reading this I began to wonder, what would happen if one of these butterflies broke from the ranks?

    -njd.

  • solo harp

  • 4’30”

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for The Future Blend Project First Performance: Sophie Rocks (harp) at Lord Leyecester Hospital, Warwick on 7 January 2017 “[ … ] at other times when off the shores of Northern Patagonia, we have surrounded by insects. One evening, when we were about ten miles from the Bay of San Blas, vast numbers of butterflies, in bands or flocks of countless myriads, extended as far as the eye could range. Even by the aid of a glass it was not possible to see a space free from butterflies. The seaman cried out ‘it was snowing butterflies’, and such in fact was the appearance.” Charles Darwin; ‘Patagonia’ from The Voyage of the Beagle (1839) After reading this I began to wonder, what would happen if one of these butterflies broke from the ranks?

score sample