The Habits of Leaves

bassoon

Composed 2022, duration 6’00”

Comissioned by Jacqueline Wilson, with support from Washington State University.

The Habits of Leaves, page 1The Habits of Leaves, page 2

The title of The Habits of Leaves is drawn from an image by Max Ernst (Les Moeurs des feuilles, 1926). The music is grounded in the sounds of the natural environment: leaves in a forest rustling in the wind, the murmur of a small stream, distant birdsong. Through this the bassoon weaves a strand of melody, echoing and replying to the forest.

Performance by Jacqueline Wilson, Wellington 5 May 2023