Morsink, C :: Drys: The Mighty Oak

Tetractys Publishing and composer Coreen Morsink present 'Drys: The Mighty Oak' for bass flute.

This is a work which depicts the Might Oak or 'Drys' of Dodoni, Greece and links this tree to other special oak trees in cultures around the world. Drys in ancient Greek was the general name for tree but became specifically the name of the Oak tree which was sacred to Zeus and was honoured at the oracle of Dodoni. The wind rustling through the tree's leaves would be interpreted as prophetic messages for those in need.

This work seeks to capture the sound of the wind in the tree's leaves as well as the lyrical nature of the site of Dodoni and other culturally important Oak sites around the world. The first movement tells the history of the Greek Oak tree and how the Mighty Oak of Dodoni was felled when Greece was converted to Christianity. The ending of the first movement is the rebirth of many oak trees in the area of Dodoni leaving a feeling of the mystery of this archeological site. The second movement relates to the possible questions people would ask of the oak and the oak's response which would be interpreted by the priests of Dodoni. The third movement is a dance-link connection of the sacred oaks of the world in a fanciful imagination that they connect despite being all in distant lands.