SKU: A0.1013047

La Fee Verte (2013, 12 minutes)
for chamber orchestra and Galician gaitas

I first became obsessed with bagpipes when my grandfather, Boston Police Lieutenant David Moran, passed away. I was 14 years old, and at his funeral police pipers played, just before the rifles were fired. I was overwhelmed by the power of the instrument, of course compounded by my own sadness and emotion. Years later, a good friend died and another friend wrote him a requiem performed by 12 bagpipes, and after being in denial about his death the power of the sound again made be burst in to tears. Then I was out a Tanglewood at a Silk Road retreat and Osvaldo Golijov had brought a friend, Cristina Pato, to demonstrate her instrument, the Galician Gaita. I was blown away, for the first time the power of the instrument hit me with pure joy, I had never heard bagpipe played like this and by a woman, it was just spectacular! I immediately found a bagpipe teacher in Boston, and started learning Highland pipes, and a few years later, in 2010, went to Galicia and began studying the Gaita. This piece is dedicated to two great gaita players, Cristina Pato and my teacher Anton DaVila. La Fée Verte was commissioned by The Silk Road Project.

About the Composer