This short piece was written in 2000 for four school-age string players. It tells the inspiring and often tragic story of the British Hedgehog's heroic struggle to survive the loss of its habitat - which is particularly severe in a small country criss-crossed by roads full of cars and lorries travelling at insanely high speeds. How can the British Hedgehog avoid being flattened by motor traffic? Can the hedgehog survive? And can homo sapiens sapiens survive the loss of the hedgehog if it becomes extinct as a result of our behaviour? Is the Heroic Hedgehog the 21st century equivalent of the canary in the coal-mine?

Playable by string players of Grade 5 and above, this short piece is a searing indictment of human folly and a homage to the Heroism of the British Hedgehog.

Giles Swayne 2025