Jennifer Raven (flute) Liz Cowdrey (violin) Peter Cowdrey (piano)
This project covers 350 years of birdsong-inspired music, starting with the Sonata Representativa by Johann Schmelzer (1668), through Couperin, Rameau and Granados to our own transcriptions of slowed down songs of chiffchaff, goldfinch, goldcrest, chaffinch and other birds that are commonly found in West European gardens, as well as semi-improvised music inspired by exotic East African birdsongs. Click here to see a short BBC documentary including our transcription of a goldcrest song. In tune with the outdoor theme, we will also include Eastern European Gypsy tunes, which are a great speciality of Liz's, interspersed with our improvisations on birdsongs. Click here to see Liz playing gypsy music.
Repertoire includes:
Schmelzer Sonata Representativa Rameau La Poule, Le Rappel des Oiseaux Couperin Le Rossignol-en-amour, La Linotte effarouchée, Les Fauvettes Plaintives, Vivaldi Il Gardellino Peter and Liz Cowdrey Garden Birds, Irish Air with Song Thrush Peter Cowdrey and Jennifer Raven African Birds Peter Cowdrey Wrens, Auroriole Granados The Maiden and the Nightingale Messiaen Le Merle Noir, Le Rouge-gorge Gypsy Music from Transylvania, Serbia, Bulgaria
2020 performances
May 14th Performance at Skipwith Hall, nr York. June 13th Performance at Embercombe, near Exeter. Click here to book June 21st. Summer Solstice performance at Fingask Castle, Perthshire. Booking details to follow soon
