Leda’s Lament: A Musical Adaptation of Sexual Assault Themes with Greek Mythological Origin Arranged for Flute Choir

Abstract

“Leda’s Lament” was created to raise awareness for the hundreds of thousands of women worldwide who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. I chose three songs, all based on stories from Greek Mythology, and organized a performance that debuted on November 18th, 2023. These musical selections included Syrinx, by Claude Debussy, The Four Moods of Pan, by Graham Powning, and Swan Upon Leda, by Andrew Hozier-Byrne. I arranged Swan Upon Leda for an ensemble consisting of piccolo, four c flutes, two alto flutes, two bass flutes, and the contrabass flute. I also contacted the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, and any proceeds from the concert were donated to this organization. I worked with my flute professor Dr. Deanna Little to arrange Hozier’s piece, and as the Fall semester began, I was responsible for rehearsing the concert with the MTSU Flute Choir.