BLUE RIDGE AIRS II
(2001) flute and piano, 23 min.

Originally written for flute and orchestra, Blue Ridge Airs II is part of a series of works using elements of traditional Southern folk music. The flutist Paula Robison commissioned and premiered the piece in 1991 and asked me to reshape it for flute and piano ten years later.

Woven into the composition are ballads, hymn tunes and strains of old-time fiddling that survive in the Blue Ridge Mountains near my home. The drone of the Appalachian dulcimer and the songs of birds from the Southern mountains are also part of the texture. Toward the end of the piece are references to the most ancient music of the region. Blue Ridge Airs II is meant to evoke a place, its shifting light and color and resounding views.

Listen to a sample.