Orchestra
Armistice
(miniature fanfare for small orchestra).
1111,0010, timpani, 2 x perc, strings.
2007: 50 secs.
Eirenicon
2222, 2231, timpani, 1 x perc, harp, strings.
2000: 10 mins. 20 secs.
*Premiere: 26/8/2000 – West Australian Symphony Orchestra cond. Kenneth Young – Perth.
Eirenicon is defined in various sources as being:
– a proposition for peace,
– a statement to bring into harmony or synthesize conflicting doctrines,
– an articulated compromise or reconciliation.
I encountered this word while searching for a title prior to starting work on my piece. It was, coincidentally, at a time when our Prime Minister of the day had yet again passed up an opportunity to advance the cause of reconciliation with our indigenous population, but had been able to express sorrow for the plight of textile workers who had recently been thrown out of work. Indeed, I too felt sympathy for the workers involved, but their plight seemed relatively inconsequential when compared with patent violations of human rights over the course of some two hundred years. I was therefore somewhat disturbed by the priorities being displayed by our national leader, and more than a little annoyed by his obstinate refusal to reasonably address an issue that so many Australians wish to see brought to an amicable resolution. Against this background Eirenicon struck me as an eminently suitable title.
Eirenicon was commissioned by Symphony Australia with assistance from the Australia Council, and premiered by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in Perth on 26/8/2000, under the direction of Kenneth Young. It is dedicated to all those who have genuinely sought to advance the cause of reconciliation.
Jericho’s Strange
3333, 4331, 2 x perc, piano, strings.
1995: 10 mins.
*Premiere: 17/11/1995 – Queensland Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir William Southgate – Brisbane.
“…Jericho’s strange,
throbbing with life at its heart:
people are drawn together,
simultaneously torn apart…”
from Modern, by Peter Hammill.
Jericho’s Strange was premiered in Brisbane in 1995 by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Sir William Southgate.
