Folk music is closely linked to regional identity, giving voice to unique experiences of place, perseverance, and pride. Many people feel powerful emotional connections to their native folk traditions, and even folk music from regions or communities to which we do not belong can speak to us with disarming sincerity and directness. Classical composers have long been inspired by folk music, and many have incorporated folk melodies into their works. But some key aspects of performance practice in folk music elude conventional classical notation: in other words, it is very difficult to write down the things about folk music that make it magical. Folk Suite represents an attempt to do just that, seeking to capture not just folk melodies, modes, and rhythms, but also the vast range of tones and timbres, the nuances of narrative delivery, the intricate ornamentation, and the push and pull of time that are enshrined in the oral tradition of how this music is performed. Contemporary notational techniques offer new ways of capturing such idiosyncracies, and the flute and guitar are ideally suited to conveying them. Folk Suite specifically draws upon the folk traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador, the composer’s home province. Its six miniatures each attempt to capture a different aspect of these rich traditions, emulating both folk singing and instrumental music.
