Casadh an tSugain (The Twisting of the Rope) for Flute and Harp

This is an arrangement of a traditional Irish folksong, for flute and lever or pedal harp. This little piece came into my life over the lockdown, and I have to say that it was such a wonderful breath of fresh air. I made a recording with Eleanor Turner and it has now become part of our concert repertoire because of the beautiful and simple lyricism. From the opening notes on the harp, the listener (and the flute player) are immediately drawn into the rocking movement of the pulse which seems to soothe. I believe I forgot to play several times! The flute joins the harp, and floats on top of the undulating waves, pausing briefly in a change of time signature that works to keep the listener (and players) attentive. The meter changes work so well and naturally, but are a good tool for an arranger to use to tease the focus and keep the interest in a very subtle way. There are no terribly tricky parts, however there are timing and hesitation issues that, when worked through and memorised, offer a charming effect... seemingly improvisational in style. For us, this piece represented a meeting of our love of simple melody and empathy as we repeated it several times that day in rural Leicestershire. Eleanor and I fell for the arrangement as we worked on it as it heralded the 'coming out of isolation, and our work together over the two years. Thanks to Daniel Whibley for arranging this little gem for flute as well as Bb and Eb saxophone. I would recommend it as a lovely piece to add to the flute and harp repertoire.