AWAITING THE BANSHEE: A Gaelic stirring
for Viola & Piano

by W. Brent Sawyer
composed 7/1/2021
approx. length: 6:30 minutes

A banshee  (BAN-shee;  "woman of the fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by wailing, shrieking, or keening. Her name is connected to the mythologically important tumuli or "mounds" that dot the Irish countryside, which are known as síde (singular síd) in Old Irish.

1st piece in the Viola Suite .

In this piece I wrote an irish sounding tune that begins with just the solo viola and that melody is used and transformed to produce the rest of the piece. The piece goes through several textures and styles of jazz idioms - in one instance the viola is used like a "walking bass". The ending section is a lively and Intense gigue signaling the arrival of the Banshee that propels to an exuberant end.