Main Piece:

“The geese are honking and the cranes are in the meadow”

Background Information:

The informant heard this from her parents when he was a child and it means that spring is here.

Context of the performance:

This is performed in the beginning of spring or during the transition from winter to spring. This is because in the open country or outside of the city where geese and cranes exist, spring is the time when the geese are honking and the cranes emerge and gather in the meadow.

My thoughts:

I think this piece definitely evokes imagery of what spring looks and sounds like. Everything is fresh and all of the animals are emerging from the winter and getting back to the normal way of things. That is why the geese are honking and the cranes are in the meadow. This is similar to having the groundhog signify the start of spring or decide that the winter will continue. There are many signifiers to the start of spring because winter is a very harsh time of year in many parts of the world because of the cold and the weather. That is why there are many rituals, traditions, sayings, and signals that define and celebrate the transition from winter to spring.