The piccolo is the most ideally suited of all modern orchestral instruments to continue the association between instrumental music and bird song. Not only does it play comfortably in that range in which so much bird song occurs (600 to 4000 cycles per second), but the natural qualities of its sound – clarity, brightness, penetration are the same words associated with bird song. Also, like song birds, its sound is capable of far more power than one would expect from such a small sound source. The music on this CD is clearly identified with birds but none of the pieces aim at imitation, except in passing.

L.C. READ

1. The Canary Polka

L.C. READ

2. Selected tunes from The Bird Fanciers Delight

FRANCOIS COUPERIN

3. The Nightingale in Love

E. DEMARE

4. The Turtle Dove Polka

G.F. HANDEL

5. Hush Ye Pretty Warbling Quire

THOMAS ARNE

6. Under the Greenwood Tree

ERNEST KOEHLER

7. The Nightingale Polka

LEJAREN HILLER

8. An Apotheosis of Archeaopterix

H. KLING

9. Two Little Bullfinches

ROBERT MCBRIDE

10. Shut Up, Mockingbird

L.C. READ

11. Selected tunes from The Bird

LEOS JANACEK

12. The March of the Bluebirds

ADOLF TERSCHAK

13. The Nightingale

MICHAEL HORWOOD

14-21. Birds