This trio portrays the scenes of the "Wild Woods" chapter of Kenneth Graham's "Wind in the Willows:" a trudge through a stark winter day, the mysterious woods, Mole being frightened by Weasels in the wood, Rat marching in to find his friend, and the two friends getting lost seeking their way out. The music contains lively marching rhythms and syncopations, soaring melodies, and haunting harmonies to tell a story that will enchant general audiences. It is rooted in a tonal/melodic style, with some gentle dissonance and chromaticism.

The harp part is challenging, but playable on a lever harp (low note is B1, the first B below the bass staff, and the high note is B5, the first B above the treble staff) - it was tried out on a lever harp to ensure the lever changes are manageable. The flute and cello parts are of moderate difficulty - the main challenges being rhythmic (syncopations, a 5/4 section, etc.), some quick trills in the flute, and some quick alternations between pizz and arco in the cello. Both flute and cello stay in the lower 2 1/2 octaves of their range. There are no modernist extended techniques.

Sound demo: https://matthewhschwarz.com/track/4662833/the-wild-wood-op-17-for-flute-harp-and-cello-demo