Fantasie for Madame McD (2016)

Harp solo – 8 mins.
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Program Note

Fantasie for Madame McD is written in celebration of the fantastic gifts Susann McDonald has given to the world through her performing, teaching, and lifelong commitment to fostering the joy of harp performance in so many ways. Though the piece is for Ms. McDonald, it is not her fantasy, but rather the fantasy vision of a composer living in the “harp heaven” she has created in Bloomington.

The piece begins with just the rustlings of a rhythm that blossoms into a perky mixed-meter tune that becomes the focal center of the piece. Several flights of fancy spin off from this tune, threatening to get lost in space, but the tune finally returns briefly at the end, a little calmer, with a smile and looking forward to more Susann inspired glories.

Many thanks to Elzbieta Szmyt for inviting me to compose this tribute, and for the devotion she has shown in finding ways to make my fanciful delusions come to life on the harp.