Work
Song of the Yarra : for soprano solo, violin obligato, SATB chorus and chamber ensemble
by Peter Sculthorpe (2008)
Score
Song of the Yarra : for soprano solo, violin obligato, SATB chorus and chamber ensemble / Peter Sculthorpe.
Library shelf no. 782.554/SCU 2 [Available for loan]
Work Overview
Song of the Yarra is in three inter-related parts:
'Morning Star', 'Healing Waters' and 'Rainbow's End'. It follows
the passage of time from night to the arrival of the morning
star, and from dawn to the fullness of the sun and day itself.
This is a metaphor for the plight of Indigenous Australians and
their subsequent joy, shared by all Australians, when in 2008 the
Federal Government finally apologized for past wrongs.
I had hoped to set Indigenous words from tribes around the river
Yarra but, sadly, the languages are now almost completely lost. I
decided to write a text myself. The text is chant-like and
repetitive, in the way that most Indigenous poetry is, and
because much of it is sung by a young girl it has a sense of
innocence. It dictated the nature of the work.
While the solo violinist plays bird-calls in several parts of the
work, most of the violin obligato mirrors the thoughts and dreams
expressed in the text. A liberal use of tuned and untuned
percussion introduces and accompanies the vocal music, often
underlining its subject-matter. Cellos and double-basses
complement the percussion, mostly adding ostinati and long-held
pedal notes.
Work Details
Year: 2008
Instrumentation: Soprano voice, violin obligato, cello, 2 contrabass, percussion (4 players), SATB choir.
Duration: 16 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Dedication note: In memory of Clifford Hocking
Commission note: Commissioned by Melbourne Recital Centre with funds provided by Harold Mitchell Foundation.. Written especially for first performance at the opening of the centre in Elisabeth Murdoch Hall on February, 2009, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch’s one-hundredth birthday
First performance: at Song of the Yarra (Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall) on 8 Feb 2009
Text by the composer.
Subjects
- Influenced by: Indigenous Australian Culture
Performances of this work
8 Feb 2009: at Song of the Yarra (Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall).
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