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Avian Soirée is a "character" piece that began with the first four notes of "The Flocks" in 2014. At the time, I did not know what the piece was about, or even if it had potential for development.

The work is neither programmatic nor abstract. It could be thought of as a blend of the two, an eponymic imaginary study, if you will. One could say—for better or worse—that the piece is "for the birds." In fact, while composing it, those were the guiding thoughts, hence the titles and sub-titles for each movement. Once I caught the "theme" the other movements followed, as their respective titles suggest.

Perhaps as a performer or listener, one can image a gathering of flocks of birds, anthropomorphic in appearance and behaviour, different birds, birds not all of the same feather, and many that are. Imagine any group or combinations of these perhaps chatting away with or at each other. Some of them take flight and entertain in mysterious patterns with leadership and direction frequently changing; some in predatory pursuit, some in preservational retreat, and some in comic relief.

The piece evolved incrementally and intermittently, and finally was mostly finished in 2016. During the next four years I made tweaks here and there until it reached its final form in about 2020, presented here.

For the benefit of both the performer and listener, for this download I have provided audio files from two sets of quintet ensembles. Each is the same but with a different set of instruments, and the second version plays with a bit less tenuto. With the former, then, the performers more often 'hold' the notes for their full notated value, and thus have a less articulated and almost legato sound.

Performance time: approximately 20'00""

Vanessa McClintock