Thus goes a centuries-old folk saying, predicting what you'll encounter after seeing magpies.
It would have been natural to write sad music upon the passing of my friend the excellent composer Alastair Putt. But to be true to his spirit, it seemed best to recall his wry humor and his liking for clever constructions. Maybe he would have been amused by this circular canon; the bassoon's opening notes are echoed by the cello thirty seconds later, and the cello's opening notes aren't taken up by the bassoon until near the end.