Written and premiered for the Nief Norf Summer 2025 festival, performed by festival fellows and faculty* -
Birdman: The Free-Flying Circuit was inspired by a brief research stint in bird flight, and the ways in which birds are often used to represent personal growth and the friction between how we live and who we want to be. It is structured after patterns commonly found in bird flight, oscillating between periods where the ensemble is in and out of time with one another to mimic what the shifting air pressure might feel like.
To quote Mark, during workshop rehearsals: "This feels like I am falling off of a cliff, taking a leap of faith."
--
flute, Lisa Cella*
bassoon, Trey Barrett
violin/viola, Mark Menzies*
percussion, Ethan Sherlock
piano, Holly McMahon
feat. fixed electronic accompaniment with synths and sampled vocals