Hiraeth

Instrumentation

Flute, alto flute and harp

Duration

3:37

Tempo

Soothing ♩ = 60

Delivery Method

Digital Download

Notes on the piece

Hiraeth is a beautiful, mellow trio for C flute, alto flute, and harp. Hiraeth is a Welsh word roughly translating to ‘longing for a home that no longer exists’. Soft flute melodies and flowing harp arpeggios paint a nostalgic, idyllic countryside scene. The piece begins in E major, but goes through a succession of keys and color changes, like memories flashing by. After this trip down memory lane, the piece returns to E major, but ends sorrowfully, as if the person these memories belong to is finally remembering that the place where these memories were made is gone.