Angels and Fireflies (flute version)

Notes

A month before the fifth anniversary of 9/11, I was in Shanksville, Pennsylvania meeting residents who had witnessed the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 into the nearby mountains. They suggested that I should visit the crash site as the sun set, to be inspired by the sound of the wind through the trees. That night, the mountain had no wind; it was completely still. But in the distance, I saw a glowing cloud appear over the site where the airplane met its final destination…

The nine distinct string parts are the same for both solo flute and solo recorder versions.  Although a string orchestra is preferred, it could be played with a double string quartet and double bass.

“Angels and Fireflies, a response to the Shanksville 9/11 crash, is a heartfelt elegy, with episodes of intense anger and lyrical pathos, in a chromatic, emotionally arresting idiom.” – Records International 2014

“Coherent and musically striking performance, full of expression and musical beauty, with a excellent recording. Overall, a production that one can hardly escape emotionally.” – Klassik 2014

This tone poem is also available for solo recorder and string orchestra and is available here.