The Travels of Igal Shidad: A Somali Folktale for Narrator and Orchestra  

Notes
Long ago, Igal Shidad lived in Somalia.  Like many Somali people, he and his family were Nomadic herders of camel and sheep.  They traveled the land in search of water and grass for their animals.  Igal’s unreasonable fears caused him much trouble, but with cleverness and faith he always managed to find his way.   This tale is still told to every Somali child. In this setting for narrator and orchestra, the text is spoken between the following sections of music: The Night was Dark, Traveling Prayer I, The Vulture, Traveling Prayer II, The Shadow, The Lion, The Camel, The Dawn, Igal’s Dance and Traveling Prayer III. Several Somali songs are interwoven into the musical form: the lullabies Ku Waayey, and Huwaya Huuwa and the popular folk song The Camel.  The lullabies are used with permission and published by authors Qorsho Hassan and Becca Buck, GIA Publications, 2023.