In Celebration of Butterflies

Papillon, Motyl, Schmetterling, Babatchka, Mariposa … in whatever language you say it, it means "Butterfly!" Have you ever had trouble attracting these lovely creatures to your garden? Have you planted buddleia (butterfly bush), sunflowers, zinnias, sweet peas, passionflower vine, marigolds … and still, the butterflies just don't notice? You might want to try a revolutionary, new approach to attracting butterflies—"butterfly music" composed by Robert Schumann, Frederic Chopin, Edward Grieg and other 19th century composers.

This new way of attracting butterflies to the garden was recently advertised in the spring 2002 issue of American Butterflies magazine, published by the North American Butterfly Association (4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960). It is a compact disc entitled Butterflies: Classical Piano Repertoire From the 19th Century! This CD is a compilation of original piano compositions which were inspired by and written in tribute to that most beautiful of all insects—the butterfly. It comes packaged within a colorful, cardboard CD wallet with detailed program notes on Schumann's "Papillon, Op. 2," the most popular of all "butterfly pieces" for piano, and is currently being sold at butterfly conservatories, museums of natural history, tourist attractions, botanical gardens and gift shops around the country.

Will this music really lure butterflies to your garden? You can decide for yourself and enjoy an afternoon of piano music, poetry and readings "In Celebration of the Butterfly" on Sunday, June 2 at 1:30 p.m. in MacDermid Hall at Teikyo Post University, 800 Country Club Rd. in Waterbury. This lecture and recital, featuring piano music from the Butterflies CD, is being presented by area pianists, poetry lovers and butterfly enthusiasts. General information and interesting trivia about butterflies, their life-cycle (metamorphosis), the migration of "monarchs," how to collect butterflies, and butterfly gardening will be discussed, as well as commentary on the classical butterfly music and its composers. Colorful charts and diagrams, including a giant monarch, will provide visual interest. Short readings and poetry (including Wordsworth's "To a Butterfly") will add to the afternoon's fun.

Tickets are $10, and will be available at the door; for more info call 860-589-7889.