Flight - Lost in an urban(e) jungle

About

This piece uses the image of a bird lost in a city, frantically trying to find a way out of the concrete that has engulfed its natural habitat. It is a political statement about the way that New Zealand is becoming this concrete jungle: individual greed and a lack of long term vision allow high intensity farming practices to destroy our rivers, and transitory councils allow increasing urban expansion to eat away at more and more of our natural land.

Flight was originally for solo flute and has been adapted by the composer especially for Anna McGregor; it is one of a number of his works that she has premiered. Although some of the lightness of the flute version is lost, the clarity and edge of the Eb Clarinet sound intensifies the frenetic elements of the piece.