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Work Overview
Colourful butterflies come fluttering to the ocean from mountains, valleys, hills and plains. Arriving at the coast, they dance above the waves, disappearing "in the motion of the ocean or maybe in the belly of a fish."
Butterfly, butterfly dance the dance to die
come kiss the salt of the ocean.
My setting of the text makes use of rhythmic repetition of words and syllables to evoke a sense of the butterflies' beating wings. Against this gentle, fluttering word play, I have scored elongated, arching melodies.
I sincerely thank The Australian Voices for commissioning the work and gratefully acknowledge Magabala Books for granting permission to set the poem to music.
Matthew Orlovich
Composer.
Work Details
Year: 2009
Instrumentation: Unaccompanied SATB choir
Duration: 4 min.
Difficulty: Medium
Commission note: Commissioned by The Australian Voices.
First performance: 27 Aug 09. Conservatorium Theatre, Griffith University, South Bank, QLD, Australia
The work is a setting of a poem of the same name by the indigenous Australian author, Michael J. Smith.
Performances of this work
27 Sep 2019: at Burgundian Consort: Sing Ye Praises (Sir John Clancy Auditorium). Featuring Burgundian Consort.
25 Jul 2019: at Butterflies Dance (Tyree Room, John Niland Scientia Building, UNSW). Featuring Burgundian Consort.
9 Apr 2015: at Choralfest (Wesley College (St Kilda)).
14 Aug 10: 1st Prize performance at the Australian National Eisteddfod, Llewellyn Hall, Australian National University, ACT, Australia. Featuring Andrew Hunter, Concordis Chamber Choir.
9 Nov 2009: at The Australian Voices (decoder Warehouse). Featuring The Australian Voices.
8 Nov 2009: at The Australian Voices (decoder Warehouse). Featuring The Australian Voices.
27 Aug 09: Conservatorium Theatre, Griffith University, South Bank, QLD, Australia
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