Based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Lindsay Stetner (b. 1976) is a Canadian composer and educator whose works span multiple genres and levels, from elementary choir to professional orchestra. She has degrees from the University of Regina and the University of Calgary. She now teaches in the Regina Public Schools, where she works to ensure that students understand that a composer is more than just a name on their sheet music.
Stetner provides this program note in her score for Under the Butterfly’s Wing:
Under the Butterfly’s Wing was written in 2007 for my mother-in-law as a birthday gift. Her favorite decoration around her house is the butterfly and I was fascinated with the symmetry and colours as the beginnings of a piece for the lady that needs nothing. The blending of the instrument colours and harmonies are what move the piece forward. The harmonies should feel like a musical kaleidescope.
She also says on her website:
This slow, lyrical piece was written as a birthday gift for my mother-in-law, who is a person that wants very little and buys what they want, so I decided to give her the most unique gift I could give. The colours of the instruments and chords reflect the feeling of watching a butterfly motionless on an object.
Take a listen:
Learn more about Stetner and her music at her website, including a dedicated page for Under the Butterfly’s Wing.
For inspiration, here is a video of a butterflies flying in slow motion: