Why the Parrot Repeats Human Words

Long ago, it was not the parrot which humans kept as a household companion, but the crow.

The crow was quick and bright, and could easily repeat human words. What’s more, he could use human language to express his own thoughts. Human and crow would pass their days in lively conversation. One was seldom seen without the other.

This happy companionship was not to last. One day a farmer saw his neighbor’s goat in his field. It was a fine goat: young, fat, lively. The farmer wanted it. Instead of returning the goat, as you or I would have done, he took the goat for himself…

This adaptation of a traditional Thai folktale, by composer Emily Doolittle and Talespin, offers a refreshing change from modern, happy-ending, fairy tales and offers a stunning insight into humankind’s aversion to the truth.

The music, by renowned Canadian composer Emily Doolittle, is intriguing and highly atmospheric and the accompanying colorful illustrations, by New Yorker Kathy Ridl are slow-paced computer-animation in style.

Canadian-born, Scotland-based composer Emily Doolittle’s music has been described as “eloquent and effective” (The WholeNote), “masterful” (Musical Toronto), and “the piece…that grabbed me by the heart” (The WholeNote). Emily has been commissioned by such ensembles as Orchestre Métropolitain, Tafelmusik, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Paragon Ensemble, and Ensemble Contemporain de Montreal, and supported by the Sorel Organization, the Hinrichsen Foundation, the Hope Scott Trust, Opera America, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Fulbright Foundation, among others.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, Emily was educated at Dalhousie University, Indiana University, the Koninklijk Conservatorium, and Princeton University. From 2008-2015 she was on the faculty of Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. She now lives in Glasgow, Scotland, where she is an Athenaeum Research Fellow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Her chamber music CD all spring, performed by the Seattle Chamber Players and friends was released on the Composers Concordance Label in 2015. She is currently writing a new piece for the Vancouver Symphony and preparing for performances of her chamber opera Jan Tait and the Bear as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2018. Emily wrote the music to the Talespin tales Why the Parrot Repeats Human Words as well as The Wise Daughter.

Designer Kathy Ridl is known primarily for her creative cd cover art. With over a 100 covers to her credit, she continues to work personally with her clients who are performing artists in jazz, rock and classical fields. She designs posters and promotional materials for concerts, festivals, and theater productions.
An acoustic bass player and violist, Kathy performs and records a wide variety of musical styles including Latin, classical, folk, rockabilly and theater. She holds a degree in Music and Media from the University of Colorado at Denver.