Twelve New Rags were composed in a south-facing house in a small hillside village in southwest France. From the desk and digital piano beside the French windows, the view stretches down a peaceful valley toward the Pyrenees mountains, about a hundred kilometres away. The setting is quiet, rich with the songs of garden birds.

During stormy periods, raptors occasionally drift down from the mountains, perhaps driven by the weather. Twice a year—in February and October—the peace is briefly broken by the raw, primeval sound of migrating cranes heading north to Scandinavia or south to Africa.

One smaller migrant from Africa also visits: the striking hoopoe. Appearing in late March, it is known for its bold black-and-white wing patterns, vivid crest, and long, probing beak. Usually solitary or in pairs, hoopoes spend the occasional sunny afternoon in the garden, leaving a vivid impression.

Around half of these rags were written during these seasonal moments. By coincidence, the first hoopoe of the year arrived on the very day this text was drafted. This charismatic visitor has, in its way, contributed to the creation of Twelve New Rags and deserves its place in their pages.

Composed by Gerald Hendrie, 2025