Songs from Euterpe

Sixteen Solos for Meditation, Ritual, or Sacred Dance

composed by Dorothy van Joolen Barth
for flute or recorder or violin

Edward Robert Hughes: Twilight Fantasies (1911)

What better way to celebrate my ninth collection of music than to write a song for each of the nine muses? This volume is named in honor of Euterpe, the Muse of Lyric Poetry, usually seen carrying a flute. 

An interlude entitled Pegasus leads to the second half of the book. Island Gaia offers six songs with a meditative quality inspired by a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Belly dancers: Four of the Muses' songs (Terpsichore, Polyhymnia, Thalia, and Melpomene) can be adapted for use in belly dance by playing with a drummer and/or finger cymbals. These pieces can be played on flute, alto recorder, violin, or any C instrument. Three tunes incorporate Middle Eastern modes.

• Melpomene is a sword dance with taxim/chifte telli sections

• Polyhymnia is  a lyrical veil dance

• Thalia is in 2/4 and can be used as a fast beledi; it does not use a Middle Eastern Mode

• Terpsichore incorporates 4/4 and 9/8 Karsilama rhythms.

Songs from Euterpe is now available. This music is intended for flute or recorder. The adaptable recorder player will between switch soprano, alto, and tenor  instruments according to preference and the range of the piece. The samples below are recorded with soprano and alto recorders. The four dance numbers also work well on violin, as they are performed below. 

Back cover of Songs from Euterpe

Songs from Euterpe is now available!

You may order Songs from Euterpe for $18.00 per copy plus shipping. 

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Preview Songs from Euterpe

  Muses' Circle

Calliope

Erato 

Clio 
(performed on alto recorder)

Euterpe

Terpsichore (4/4 and 9/8 dance)

Polyhymnia (veil dance)
(performed on violin)

Thalia (4/4 dance)
(performed on violin without repeats)

Melpomene (sword dance)
(taksim performed on alto recorder
 and violin; 
chifte telle performed on violin)

Urania
(playing as background music on this page;
performed on soprano recorder)

Interlude
Pegasus
(performed on soprano recorder)

Island Gaia

Morning 
(performed on soprano recorder)

 Labyrinth   
(performed on soprano recorder)

 Crater Credo

Rain Tree

Akaka Falls

Blue Temple  
(performed on alto recorder)

Composed and performed Dorothy Barth

More Sheet Music Anthologies by Dorothy Barth

Useful information for those who wish to learn the recorder

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