Program note: Six Song Fragments
- Damien Ricketson
- Source: The Song Company A programme of New Works 18 October 1992
Six Song Fragments Damien RICKETSON (b. 1973)
Poetry: Douglas Stewart
Unlike the usual way in which I approach composition, which is taking a couple of
ideas and developing them into a piece, in this work I wanted an eclectic mix of six
simple ideas reflecting the diverse musical styles that I am interested in. I chose the
poetry of Douglas Stewart to do this because of the rich images of our landscape,
which also is diverse in nature.
Nodding Greenwood: Most traditional of the six.
ln the Rain: Vaguely influenced by Aboriginal music with the aspect of a drone,
and the overall downwards moving melody.
Still in the Rain: More rhythmic approach.
The Snow Gum: Experiment with parallel motion, a wall of sound which
gradually disintegrates into a solo line.
Cicada Song: I had to do it, I couldn't help myself, it was fun.
Spider-Gums: Static and atmospheric, never actually moves anywhere, slowly
slowly creates and releases tension.
D.R.
