One Part To Another | JULY CHALLENGE: 9th place

The Australian pratincole (Stiltia isabella) is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae. It breeds in Australia's interior and winters in northern and eastern parts of the continent, Indonesia and New Guinea. It is a medium-sized nomadic shorebird but is commonly found in arid inland Australia. It breeds predominantly from south-western Queensland to northern Victoria, and through central Australia to the Kimberley region in Western Australia. The Australian population is estimated at 60,000 individuals.

Dive into the journey of this Australian bird through this piece. From bars 1-18, the bird reflects on its time in wherever it had stayed the last three seasons. From bar 19, the bird spreads its wings and starts its journey to the southern part of their breeding distrubution.

The Australian Pratincole is known to sing its song and call in Summer Thunderstorms. So, from bar 54, the song makes a dramatic change to Bb minor, signaling a storm, then soon after, the Pratincole sings its song, through a vibrant piano melody. The harp plays demisemiquaver scale runs, representing the whoosh of the wind, with maracas buzzing, representing rain. From 70 to the end, the bird is coming to its final destination, where it will begin a new chapter of its life.

DANTE MARZINI