Reul na Coille

Author / Artist: 
Publication Date: 
May, 2002

My concerto for percussion and orchestra is named for the Scottish Highlands flower known, like the concerto’s dedicatee, as much for its uniqueness as for its rare beauty. The literal translation of the Gaelic, "star of the wood," is further testimony for the flower’s exceptional splendor. 

The work opens like the flower’s unfolding petals, with a delicate sound that expands outwards. As the piece grows, the sound is transformed in both density and color. Throughout the composition, I explored and reinterpreted the flower metaphor, seeking to mimic how complex and variegated structures spring organically from small yet fecund events. 

Reul na Coille was commissioned by Evelyn Glennie, to whom it is dedicated.