I - mist (ca. 4' 30") II - … branches against a white sky (ca. 3' 15") In late 2003 it was with a great deal of pleasure that I received an invitation to compose a new work for solo piccolo from Roberto Fabbriciani. I had come to know the pioneering flute work of Roberto Fabbriciani very well – in fact by this time I was lucky enough to be able to consider him a close friend. Many of the colourations found in these pieces: intonated and tremolo breath, whistle tones, harmonics, lip bend, the changing distance of the lips to the mouthpiece, recall the many colourations that Roberto has gifted us all, during his countless musical adventures over the years. I composed two companion pieces ‘mist’ and ‘… branches against a white sky’ during 2004. Starting in the late Winter and early Spring in-between Kedainiai in Lithuania and Glasgow, Scotland and eventually finishing them during an idyllic summer of work in Tuscany, Italy. The overriding metaphor for these two pieces is the gradual stirring and movement of life – from the harsh icy mists of a Lithuanian winter slowly giving way to the determined strength of life. They are dedicated with great affection to Roberto e Luisella – their names are indelibly encrypted by many of the pitches that are played!