The Duel of the White-necked Ravens

Photograph © Paddy Ryan (white-necked raven above Mt Kilimanjaro)
Extracts from The Duel of the White-necked Ravens. Piano, Sarah Latto; soprano solo, Catherine Shaw

In 2014 Bill walked up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. While sitting beside his tent below the summit he watched three pairs of white-necked ravens duelling mid-flight. This included them flying in mirror formation – one upside down under the other – parting, then soaring directly towards each other before clasping talons mid-air. This aerial display in the oxygen-poor air at c. 5800 m left a lasting impression and inspired the poem, Thin Air Living. He set this for SATB choir, solo soprano and solo piano for a commission from King’s School, Worcester.


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