Die Nachtigall, die nur alleine singen wollte
(2025)

Composer's notes:

My hope was to create a work which children would find entertaining but which could simultaneously teach them to recognise several common birdsongs/calls from North Germany. In doing so they would learn something of the biological functions of bird vocalisations, the reason why some have evolved to be so beautiful, and, by placing birdsong within the context of human music, learn the significance of protecting the species that make these incredible sounds. It would make me very happy if some of the children that hear this music go on to develop a love of birds.

To create this piece, I collaborated with the librettist Katharina Diestel and the actor Uwe Serafin. We were funded by the Hamburger Kulturstiftung and we first performed our work in the Boberger Dünenhaus, Bergedorf. After the performance, the children and their parents went out into the dune landscape to listen to the birds themselves, guided by environmental educators from the nature centre.

Duration: 25'

Instrumentation: Violin, Viola, Flute, Treble Recorder, Lute.

First Performance: Boberger Dünenhaus, Loki-Schmidt Stiftung, Bergedorf (19.05.2025).