Swaying Daffodils

Paul Britten

Prof. Maclead

LLC Writing & the Arts

8 November 2010

Swaying Daffodils

            The other day while surfing the internet site Youtube.com, I ran into a song which hit me emotionally.  The song was called Swaying Daffodils, and it was originally composed by Arthur R. Overlade.  When I first heard It, I recognized the melody.  I called my home town to talk to my parents, and to my surprise, I realized that this song had a lot more meaning to me than just being a beautiful piano piece.

            The song was familiar to me because I was reminded that this was the song my Grandma used to play at our family reunions.  It is special because it is the only song my Grandma had remembered how to play after all the years of her life.  My Grandma is now ill with cancer, and hearing this song really makes me think about her.  As I listened to the song, I started to critique the artistic aspects of it and relate them to my Grandma.

            Because my Grandma is such a quiet woman, It has always been hard to read what she is feeling or thinking.  The piece displays this part of my Grandma through the intro which contains many sharp notes and flats which gives the listener a feeling of question as to what the piece will later bring.  It then opens with a beautiful intro which really makes listeners feel as if they are in a field of daffodils.  The piano piece is mostly played in the dynamic of piano which is the softest instruction for a piano player to play.   The calamity of it reminds me of the calm nature of my Grandma.  I also think the crescendos talk to me about the ups and downs of her life.

Being a piano player, I decided to sit down and try to learn this song.  When I downloaded the sheet music, I realized that it was really complicated and technical.  I had a difficult time learning it and I am sure my Grandma did as well.  This shows her perseverance and diligence that she had gone through her whole life to get to where she is today.  I love my Grandma and the song Swaying Daffodils will remind me of this for the rest of my life.

click here for youtube video of a kid playing dancing daffodils.