Op. 55 – Murmuration

Murmuration was inspired by the mass movements of large flocks of starlings at sunset, searching for a place to settle down for the evening. Sometimes wide-spread, sometimes clustered in a narrow band, sometimes reversing course or suddenly diving en masse, the undulations of their patterns made for fascinating viewing on numerous videos widely posted on social media which caught my attention in the fall of 2015. Feeling unsatisfied with the choice of music to accompany these video displays, I decided to write my own music more in line with what was suggested to me by the collective movement of the birds.

Murmuration is dedicated to Quaternity. This talented flute quartet, consisting of Laura Benning, Gwyn Jones, Maria Rohde and Cynthia Rugolo, gave the premiere at the Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention in Reston, Virginia in February 21, 2016, and have performed it many times since.

Murmuration is scored for three flutes which double on piccolo, and one which doubles on alto flute.