The Magpie's Gift - Original Zootopia Composition

Описание: After some delays due to a hectic work schedule, I finally finished writing and recording my second original Zootopia inspired composition! Just like Evergreen it is inspired by a fic from the fandom and dedicated to that fic's author. This time the amazing 'The Magpie's Gift' by the very talented Pandora. A wonderful Christmas themed one-shot that was amongst the first Zoot fics I ever read upon getting into the fandom about this time last year. It's heart-warming and fluffy beyond measure with just the perfect touch of bittersweetness that may well make it both my favourite Christmas themed story and favourite one-shot in the entire fandom! My words really fail to do it anything like the justice it deserves so I can only advise everyone to go read it for yourselves over on AO3; I'm sure you won't regret it! - https://archiveofourown.org/works/279...

The piece itself is a quasi-programmatic retelling of the story. The opening chords could be bells echoing in the distance as one might hear during the holiday season and the central upper-octave melody that returns throughout the piece mimics birdsong; perhaps the titular magpie? The music is positive but with an air of the bittersweet about it; it's Kitsmas, "Nick's first real Kitsmas in decades" and yet through no fault of her own Judy finds herself without a present to give him and precious little cash with which to acquire one. The melodic material gradually becomes more and more resolute as Judy's plan forms and she departs. The next main melodic idea is a carol like melody; perhaps a choir beckoning in the season of goodwill that she passes along her way, but it too is subdued for now and passes quickly; she doesn't have time to stop. As she arrives at her destination the music modulates from B-flat major to D-flat major and the sundscape becomes more ambiguous and searching with extended chords, pedal-blended harmonies and unresolved suspensions as she first deals with the shopkeeper and then peruses his menagerie of wares. So much to choose from and yet nothing right. Until she spots it and the key returns to the original B-flat major. With the return to the original key the unsureness of the harmony is banished and a certainty descends upon the music as we return to the original melodic material, but this time it's as resolute as it's ever been from the very start; everything has fallen into place as Judy awaits Nick's arrival. The carol theme returns this time as an all-out rapturous fanfare before returning to that same central melody. This time it's subdued, as it was at the very beginning but despite that it has a new sense of satisfaction; of contentedness about it that was absent before. Perhaps not everything turned out as planned, but maybe that's alright.

Ughhhh yep, still hate writing about my own music! Besides that, here's another friendly reminder to go and read the story linked above and a huge thank you to Pandora for not only penning such a fantastic fic but also allowing me the honour of composing this piece. Hopefully it is at least in some way worthy of bearing the same name!

Many thanks for watching/reading, I hope you all enjoy and a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!