Birds and a Steam Train in the Catlins
by Anthony Ritchie, for piano, Opus 45b
This short piece was inspired by a journey through the Catlins area, south of Dunedin, mixing bird call with the imagined presence of a steam train.
- YEAR: 1991
- DURATION: 2'30
- COMMISSIONED BY: I and A Saslav
- LEVEL: 2 | Proficient amateurs and students
- Published by The Centre for NZ Music, in the volume entitled 1st 15: A Selection of Piano Music by NZ Composers, 1996
Listen to Tom McGrath at SOUNZ.
Programme Note
This piece was written in 1991 for Ann Saslav. It is based on an imaginary scene from years ago when a railway branch line went through native bush in the Catlins area of NZ.
The motif at the start is a bird-call the composer heard in the area.
This piece is aimed at grade 7 or 8 level, and was initially performed in schools by Ann Saslav as part of an educational project.