(for 4 voices, 12 string guitar, lap harp)
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30 - Chris Maynard
detail from Chris Maynard's “Choices F”
Chris Maynard writes…
My feather designs capture essences of birds in Featherfolio’s new, creative feather art form. Each feather design is placed in a shadowbox and uses feathers naturally shed from birds. Feathers provided by zoos and aviaries are carefully cut, positioned, and preserved in each piece. Most are collected after natural molting, with no harm to the bird.
This poem inspired the piece "Choices"
Shall I go or shall I stay
The door is open, fly away?
But it’s safe, my food is here
Choices are not always clear
The Music
I find Chris’ intricate artwork breathtaking. Literally. Seeing this piece had me captivated, particularly as cockatoos are close to my heart. Although I've not seen a red-tailed-black cockatoo, several species (yellow tailed black, sulphur crested, gang gangs, corellas and galahs) are regular feeders on our rural property in S.E. Australia.
Chris’ poem prompted me to make an instrumental piece for 12 string guitar (open tuning), lap-harp and vocals (wordless); but the more I worked on it, the more it didn’t feel finished. Responding to his art, his poem and the themes he raises, I jotted some thoughts into a text and recorded an impromtu vocal line. Backing vocals came last.
Trust you enjoy the collaboration.
Thanks for flying by
Helen
Project 52.
The Artists
1 - Kathryn Portelli
2 - Helen Hiebert
3 - Petrus Spronk
4 - Ann Lewis
6 - Cornelius Cardew
7 - Bronle Crosby
10 - Casey Klahn
11 - Maggie Ruley
12 - Jim Carpenter
13 - Gerda Tobler
14 - Pete Goodlet
15 - Kathleen O’Brien
16 - Cynthia Morris
17 - Mark Payne
18 - Juli Cady Ryan
19 - Shakespeare
20 - Jack Fisher
21 -Nanci Hersh
22 - Padraig McCaul
23 - Laurie LeBreton
24 - Sophia Khan
25 - Linnet Hunter
26 - Lisa Call
27 - Brenda York
28 - Holly Wilson
29 - Dariusz Klimczak
30 - India Flint
31 - Chris Maynard
32 - Mauricio Paz Viola
33 -
35 - Patty Sgrecci
Wings and Things
Here and there
With a sideways stare
See fly by flutters
And wonder why
Making do,
Doing in pairs
Feather light carriage
Portals of a marriage
Which way wishes,
Away with the fishes
These things
With wing-tipped
Colours and grace
Ply my path with choices
My nest is my castle,
But when the time comes,
I too must take flight
Wings and things to discover
Watch the ebb and flow
Taste the air,
Flower to flower
Tree to tree
Place to place
Wings that sing.
© Helen Davey Cox
CC-BY-SA-3.0- Peter Campbell_
Red_tailed_Black_Cockatoo_in_flight.