Lavinia Kell Parker, String Quartet No.1 "Other Names for Birds" - Sound of Migration Concert Series

String Quartet No. 1, Other Names for Birds
Composed by Lavinia Kell Parker
Performed by the Penderecki String Quartet
Each spring Southern Alberta sees the arrival of the migratory Thick-Billed Longspur. This distinctive songbird is at the centre of an ongoing controversy and has become a symbol for change. Previously known as McCown’s Longspur, it honored a confederate general and a perpetrator of indigenous genocide. Renaming this species to the Thick-Billed Longspur prompted a proposal to reclassify exclusionary and harmful bird names. As a former resident of South Carolina, I witnessed the removal of the confederate flag on statehouse grounds, and the withdrawal of other long-standing symbols of the confederacy. When I returned to Canada, however, the controversy surrounding this threatened species caused me to question if any of my own long-held convictions might be unknowingly detrimental to others. As statues topple, buildings are renamed and scientific common terms lose their honorific titles, what culpability do I have as a musician?
In the West, we so easily assumed the primacy of the classical canon, notably the “Three B’s” (Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms). This was largely due to antiquated music scholarship that limited inclusion and diversity. My work, Other Names for Birds, invites the listener on a personal pilgrimage to re-examine musical hierarchy. The opening motive, woven throughout this string quartet, captures bird-like imagery, and evokes Beethoven’s pastoral symphony. The entirety of the piece explores classical influence syncretised with my own “Three B’s”: Barndance, Bluegrass, and Baptist hymnody. Central to the work are moments of silent reflection for those musics which remain unheard. Familiar melodic lines, driving rhythm, and ample opportunity to “showboat” create a compelling energy eliciting hope for the future. My backyard bird, the Thick-Billed Longspur, can inspire us to create new ways for inclusivity in our teaching, music making, and all that we do.
Sound of Migration was made possible with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the University of Lethbridge, the Allied Arts Council, V.A. Hill Fine Strings Ltd. and Sistema de Apoyos a la Creación y Proyectos Culturales.