Wild Flames

The title and text Wild Flames comes from Book 1 of The Wanderings of Oisin. It describes a sceptre held by Aengus, the god of eternal youth, who is sometimes portrayed as the King of the undying lands. Niahm and Oisin go to see Aengus, who is actually Niahm's father in the myth, when they first arrive at the undying lands. Aengus holds his sceptre up and describes to Oisin the perfect joy that rules over the islands.

We came to where
A beautiful young man dreamed within
A house of wattles, clay, and skin;
One hand upheld his beardless chin,
And one a sceptre flashing out
Wild flames of red and gold and blue...

Wild Flames is based on Domenico Scarlatti's Sonata K431:

A performance of Sonata K431 by Alexandre Tharaud

The harmonic pattern of the Sonata has been altered to take on the greens and blues of Helen Frankenthaler's paintings Regata and Joie d'Art, also meant to tie the pattern with the vision of the hundreds of beautifully carved boats used for fishing on the shores of the undying lands.

Joi d'art

Regata