The Strawberry Thief (suite) :: Sally Greenaway

The Strawberry Thief (suite)

Music of Sally Greenaway

Commissioned by Stephanie and Ross Burton

One is instantly transported to a 'Wind in the Willows' style of imagery: charming in its child-like innocence, and equally appealing to adults, as the best prose and programmatic music can be.

The Strawberry Thief (suite) for flute, cello and piano, brings delight from Australian composer Sally Greenaway. The suite comprises three musical snapshots, inviting us into a world of birds, gardens and cheeky foxes:

The Strawberry Thief illustrate a fleeting encounter of an inquisitive bird as it searches for its breakfast! Flitting between the flower beds, taking a dip in the birdbath, the little thief eventually escapes with a strawberry...
The Secret Garden drapes soft misty rain over a secluded garden, evoking smells of wet grass and bark, droplets gently dripping from the leaves of rose bushes, and spiderwebs glistening.
The Little Red Fox captures the whimsical curiosity of an inquisitive fox. There is a playful dialogue between the musicians illustrating a cheeky fox frolicking in a nearby field.

Commissioned as a musical gift celebrating a 'Ruby' (40 years) Wedding Anniversary.Stephanie and Ross Burton, who commissioned the suite, gifted composer Sally Greenaway an 'inspiration book' featuring their shared 'favourite things', including photos of English and Australian Gardens, handmade crafts (ceramics and quilting), tapestry patterns by Victorian-era English designer William Morris, and charming illustrations of a young fox family.