for SATB and piano or small ensemble
This celebratory work sees Bob Chilcott collaborate with poet Charles Bennett to explore all that we can learn from the natural world. The first movement, 'Follow the music', leads us on a journey through the woods that is artfully reflected in the music through resonant repeated notes in the piano that take us on our own musical trail. The second movement, 'A Gift so in Tune', is more reflective, with a real potential for storytelling as we're reminded to listen to and learn from the prompts that nature gives us. Finally, the titular movement brings us a mood of bright positivity, with energetic semiquavers in the piano underpinning the singers' powerful message of how, whatever the season, we should follow the birds' example and spread our wings and find our voices. The work may be accompanied by piano, playing from the vocal score, or a small ensemble of flute, oboe, clarinet in A, horn in F, timpani, and organ, using the materials available separately.
