Voices from the Ancient World
(1998) For three flutes and percussion
Duration: 15'
Commissioned by the Scottish Flute Trio

World Premiere:  23 January 1999, Glasgow, Scotland
Scottish Flute Trio with Tim Williams, percussion

U.S. Premiere:  11 March 2000, Alice Tully Hall, New York

Publisher:  Novello & Co Ltd

Composer's Note:

This work is in 6 short movements which describe some of the personages of ancient Greece. Each movement uses different combination of flutes (including piccolos and alto flute) with a different percussion accompaniment.

1. EOS
   The Goddess of the Dawn, who travelled on the winds and sprinkled down dew upon the earth.
   
   
2. PAN
   The God of the countryside, of flocks, shepherds and animals, a famous player of the syrinx, or pan pipes — the shepherd's pipe.
   
   
3. BOREAS
   The God of the North Wind who had two faces — one facing where he was going, the other from whence he came. He was the male counterpart to Eos.
   
   
4. CIRCE
   The Enchantress who changed men into beasts. Ulysses was given a sprig from a certain plant by Hermes which allowed him to resist her charms.
   
   
5. PANDORA
   
   When Pandora was created by Zeus, he ordered all the Gods to endow her with some of their attributes. She was also given a box, but forbidden to open it. Her curiosity about its contents overwhelmed her — she opened it and all the evils of the world flew out. Too late she closed it, but she managed to prevent the escape of Hope.
   
   
6. SELENE
   The Goddess of the Moon who drives across the night sky in her chariot to visit the sleeping Endymion. She was once seduced by Pan.

Recording:

Voices from the Ancient World
Scottish Flute Trio
Tim Williams, purcussion
Metier MSVCD92041

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