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Author Hynes has composed a surprise symphony of words, concepts, illustrations, and inspirations. Her central character, Ensemble Elk, is the conductor and manager at the Jason Mixolydian School of Music, slated to become an adjunct to Abington Academy in Putnam County, West Virginia. The high reputation of the school has yielded a lengthy line of potential music prodigies who must perform for Director Ensemble in anticipation of acceptance for an upcoming ceremony. But Ensemble, they soon discern, is rarely in a friendly mood. As the hopefuls trudge through, some are even warned by the director’s secretary, coffee maker, and clean-up lady, Ms. Treble Clef Catbird, about his curmudgeonly manner. In fact, he may ignore them completely, watching TV and making paper airplanes out of letters he refuses to read, fearful of their content.
The reader will immediately become immersed in Hynes’ fantasy world, where every young musician is a different animal, all playing different instruments. With appropriate names and musical skills, each represents a letter of the alphabet, beginning with Aeolian Aardvark, who plays the Appalachian dulcimer, and concluding with Zaruela Zebra on the zither. Other participants include Coda Crocodile on cello, Ionian Iguana on Italian flute, and Lullaby Llama, who plays the lyre. Each applicant has her/his own story to tell intertwined in the narrative as their auditions occur, and each displays artistry on material ranging from simple folksongs to ponderous orchestral offerings. They could infer that Ensemble doesn’t like them, doesn’t care, and won’t accept them, yet he is battling his own trepidation about the future of the school. For solace, he gazes at a large pond outside his office and observes the strange antics of two clownfish who have apparently been placed in his view by a higher power. Their bizarre frolics will soften Ensemble, inspiring him with positive, sometimes biblical messages. As the winding tale nears its comforting climax, the irritable Ensemble Elk will be transformed into a happy, harmonious leader.
Hynes has pursued a lengthy career in the realms of music and healthcare, teaching and sharing her knowledge based on her higher education and mastery of numerous musical instruments. She has resided for many years in the West Virginia region, which provides the book’s setting. She shows her skills as an empathic wordsmith, deftly depicting the outer annoyances and inner torments of Ensemble and his staff and the apprehensions of the aspiring auditioners. Hynes is also a graphic artist who opens each chapter with a portrait of the characters featured and the instruments they have brought to the audition. There are hundreds of musical references, from noted and obscure compositions to well-known folk and popular ditties, eclectic instrumentation drawn from worldwide knowledge to downhome banjos and kazoos, and musical erudition to well-placed puns. Hynes has created a glossary titled, appropriately, “Notes from the Staff,” to enlighten readers as to the origins and uses of instruments and musical pieces cited, along with a brief “Lyrical Bibliography.” This work is a vast, complex tapestry that will attract readers across a wide spectrum of ages and interests. In short, the author’s work is musical, magical, and mystical.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review