This is some piece! Rhythmically demanding, technically difficult, harmonically challenging and an acquired aural taste, it will stretch both performers and audience. The 9 piccolos are divided into 3 groups which broadly operate together, which does help in rehearsal. Twittering Machine starts with a fugue between the groups before developing into a fugue between each part. Chaconne for a Canary intersperses a tune with accompaniment mostly in quintuplet semiquavers and Rag Melancolique requires a great dexterity of ensemble skills. It obviously could be played with 9 flutes but it would lose much of it’s character - if you are lucky enough to know 9 piccolo players this is for you. Good luck!
