#quartets — Public Fediverse posts

Air For Petronella by Medusa Quartet

I went to see a cello player with my sister, Raphael Weinwroth-Brown one evening. I’ve seen him once before after my sister told me how amazing his music is. There was an opening quarter before his performance, Medusa, and their songs were beautiful as well.

One that stood out to me – and probably everyone there – is a song called ‘Air for Petronella’. Before playing this beautiful piece, they told us the meaning behind the song. It’s about an innocent girl who was tried as a witch in Ireland. She was completely innocent of the accusation and was the first person in Ireland to be burned at the stake for witchcraft in Ireland. She was accused due to being a follower of Dame Alice Kyteler who was charged for witchcraft – all of her associates were deemed guilty as well, including young Petronella. Kyteler fled for her life, leaving Petronella to be flogged and burned at the stake for the crime of “heresy”.

Saskia Tomkins composed this melancholically beautiful piece after reading about this true story. She couldn’t sleep one night, upset about the injustice toward an innocent girl, and wrote this song for the quartet.

https://youtu.be/LZzs3WJQUw8?si=OMCCA4lq_yxRZHl9

As they played the beautiful but sad song, almost everyone was in tears. It’s a deep sadness for Petronella herself, and for everyone who has been put to death for doing nothing wrong. Fanaticism has claimed many lives and shows cruelty to anyone who appears to be a threat to it.

It’s a sobering reminder of how many women (and some men) suffered throughout history for being too wise, too knowledgeable about science, for challenging current beliefs of the time, or simply being in the wrong place. This has been on my mind a lot since I saw this played live, and wanted to share it with you all.

Medusa is an independent quarter based out of Toronto. Go Canada and live music!

This song is a kind tribute to Petronella.

Ireland’s First Witching Burning