Aiden Hartery’s piece “The First Recitation: the old Hag” is an unaccompanied trumpet piece written for Aaron Hodgson and premiered at ITG 2017 in Hershey, PA. Using extended techniques and an innovative compositional structure, this piece helps paint the picture of eastern Canadian folklore. The composer explains:

In Newfoundland, if someone has a visit from the old hag, they are referring to experiencing a nightmare while being partially conscious. The person is aware they are sleeping, but unable to wake themselves up. The person feels as if someone is sitting on their chest, they are unable to move and may feel like they are being choked. It is said that to wake someone up who is experiencing a hag is to say their name backwards, to physically snack or shake the person. This piece presents a ‘theme’ at the beginning, and is later stated backwards (slightly altered rhythmically then melodically) and played with a practice mute (to simulate someone calling out the persons name, but the dreamer not clearly hearing the person while in their dream- state). – Aiden Hartery

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