Fledge my child

Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"When I first think of Spring, I instantly hear birdsong filling the garden and woodlands, evoking a sense of renewal and rebirth. It also has as certain therapeutic quality giving me a feeling of relaxation and calm. When I heard the ‘Melody of Birds’ recording, I had a sense of the birds being engaged in conversation and wondered what they might be discussing.
"Of course, Spring is the time when chicks hatch and fledge which got me thinking about what parent birds might say to their young to encourage them to leave, whilst at the same time becoming saddened because of the inevitability of an eventual empty nest.
"I wanted ‘Fledge My Child’ to reflect this conversation, presenting the piece as a secular hymn representing that moment of leaving from the point of view of the parent bird.
"The lyrics attempt to mirror the birdsong as if directly translated, each verse representing a stage in that process of leaving; from teaching, encouraging, loving farewells and finally being left bereft and childless, yet overjoyed that the chicks have successfully grown and fledged."
Birds in Pat Busch Reserve, South Africa reimagined by Simon Holmes.