Programme note:

As with so many others around the world, I have spent the past 40 days almost entirely

within the 4 walls of my flat in Glasgow.

The highlight for me has been sitting at my window-seat every morning, watching the

Spring slowly arrive. No matter how alone I have felt, sitting there, I realise how much

life is around me...As I sit there, quietly, I see squirrels and hear the birds in the trees. I

see the buds on the trees opening into leaves. I notice the subtle warming of the days.

And for the first time in years, I take the time to just watch it all. It's a lot like

meditation. But I think it's even deeper than that. The primary thing I think I get from

that — in some strange way — is not feeling as alone.

Nature goes on without us. It surrounds us always.

Most people have never seen a hen harrier, but once witnessed it's rarely forgotten. Last

spring, whilst in Orkney, I was lucky enough to spot one high above me, twirling and

diving in the open sky. Utterly joyful. Completely free.

Each spring over the heathland of the UK, the endangered bird undertakes a dramatic

courtship ritual known as sky dancing. The male acrobatically rises and plunges

repeatedly to an almost invisible audience in order to entice an on-looking female to take

him as her mate.

This piece is a memory of that experience, a longing for that freedom, and a meditation

and prayer that one of the outcomes of this time will be a greater awareness of our

relationship with nature

Skydance was commissioned by Christoph and Marion Trestler, on behalf of the Riot Ensemble for Louise McMonagle as part of their Zeitgeist Commissioning Programme.