Celebrating 20 years of performing, promoting, recording and curating new music, Halcyon’s last program for 2018, SHINING SHORES, collects together pieces inspired by the natural elements of water and moonlight.
In their 20th anniversary year, this program again features composers of outstanding vocal music with a deep responsiveness to the poetry that inspires them, many of whom have had long associations with Halcyon and includes works drawn from Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.
Program: Rosalind Page Apollinairesongs (2002) Hilary Tann Winter Sun, Summer Rain (1986) AP Gilian Whitehead Girl with a Guitar (2000) AP Gordon Kerry Three Malouf settings (2016) Ross Edwards The Forest from Five Senses (2015) Sadie Harrison Little Gifts I (1996) AP Robert Lombardo Two Love Songs (2014) AP *AP Australian Premiere Artists: Elizabeth Scott conductor Jenny Duck-Chong mezzo-soprano Laura Chislett flute Jason Noble clarinet Anna McMichael violin Nicole Forsyth viola Geoffrey Gartner cello Daniel Herscovitch piano/celeste
The program sees a return of a number of significant and quintessentially Halcyon works premiered by the ensemble over the years – Rosalind Page’s Apollinairesongs (2002) for mezzo, flute, clarinet. viola, cello and piano and Gordon Kerry’s Three Malouf Songs (2015) for mezzo, violin, cello and piano. [SAG Review] Page’s Apollinairesongs is one of the works featured on Halcyon’s first studio album, Cool Black: Chamber Works of Rosalind Page, which is also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and this will be the first opportunity to hear Halcyon perform the piece live since they gave the premiere of this chamber version in 2002.
Also featured are two Australian premieres: Hilary Tann’s evocative Winter Sun, Summer Rain, whose musical aesthetic is heavily influenced by both the natural world and the traditional music of Japan and Gillian Whitehead’s Girl with a Guitar, a sparse through-composed work for voice, cello and piano, setting seven short poems inspired by nature.
A series of short duos fill out the program – Sadie Harrison’s Little Gifts I for voice and clarinet (Australian premiere), Robert Lombardo’s Two Love Songs for voice and viola (Australian premiere) and Ross Edwards’ The Forest for voice and piano, the last a small token acknowledging the eminent composer’s 75th birthday this December.
SHINING SHORES [Facebook Event] from Halcyon [Facebook] is December 1, 8-9.30 pm at Music Workshop, Sydney Conservatori
With thanks to Halcyon, Sydney Arts Guide has a double pass giveaway to SHINING SHORES on Saturday December 1, 2018. To be in the running, email (editorialstaff.sydneyartsguide@gmail.com) with SHINING SHORES as the subject AND your full name. Competition closes Midnight on Wednesday November 28, 2018 when the winner will be drawn. Only the winner will be notified and the pass will be available from the box office on the night of the performance.
Congratulations to MaryAnn who is the winner of this competion.