A Feather of Blue was commissioned in 2000 by the New Zealand Trio and is recorded on their album “Spark”.

A Feather of Blue takes its title from a phrase in a poem called A View From A Window by New Zealand Writer Kevin Ireland. I have always admired the wry humour and brightness of Kevin Ireland’s writing and many years ago set three of his poems for soprano and mixed ensemble. As a kind gesture Mr. Ireland sent me a copy of his book of poems Skinning a Fish, and I was particularly struck by the imagery of colours, flowers, feathers, and birds in this poem, which illustrates rain pouring down a windowpane and giving way to a burst of sunshine after a storm.

The piece uses a melody that I derived from a chant and originally used in an earlier piece, but felt it was more suited to the piano trio combination of this work. The expansive melody appears in a somewhat fragmented form at first, giving way to a livelier section where the cello plays guitar-like chords alongside an isorhythmic exchange between violin and piano. The music builds up to a virtuosic climax before sighing with relief and a return to the opening textures.

The ‘Spark” CD Morrison Music Trust: The New Zealand Trio -Justine Cormack [violin], Ashley Brown [violoncello] & Sarah Watkins [piano].