Login

Enter your username and password

Forgotten your username or password?

Your Shopping Cart

There are no items in your shopping cart.

Work

Central Highland Rounds : for strings

by Alexander Voltz (2022)

Selected products featuring this work — Display all products (2 more)

Sunshine sounds

$POA

This item may be available to purchase from the Australian Music Centre.
Please contact our Sales Department to confirm pricing and availability.

Display all products featuring this work (2 more)  

Work Overview

I was recently fortunate to visit Emerald, Queensland, tasked by Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra with composing a new work inspired by my journey. While Emerald the town is distinct, it is Emerald the community that most resonated with me. I must thank Renée Anderson, Paul Bell AM, Patricia Bock, Katerina Hatzipanagiotis, Peter Maguire AM and Bronwyn Reid for their incredible generosity, insight and good humour. I think I have never truly met such friendly people.

My activities were varied. I visited Fairbairn Dam with Katerina and, after much practise, operated a siphon tube with Renée. I confess that I exceeded the bounds of my charge and with Patricia ventured deep into The Gemfields. The rugged geographies of Anakie, Sapphire and Rubyvale have been difficult to shake from my mind. There seems to me to be a kind of beauty in rusted machinery scattered across the desert. Man's interaction with nature in this manner is, I think, terrifying - in the biblical sense.

At the conclusion of my Central Queensland adventures, I returned to Brisbane via the Spirit of the Outback. The train departed Emerald's historic station at seven o'clock in the evening; after dinner, I retired to my cabin, doused my lamp, and watched as hundreds and hundreds of lights slowly lumbered their way through the night.

In composing Central Highland Rounds, I drew on my experiences, and on what memories I have of the Central Highlands' landscapes and stories. I am grateful to both Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation for affording me an opportunity to explore Australia.

There is nothing quite like a setting sun over a cotton sea (whilst sipping ginger beer).

Alexander Voltz, 15th April 2022, Brisbane.

Work Details

Year: 2022

Instrumentation: String orchestra.

Duration: 9 min.

Difficulty: Advanced

Dedication note: For the good people of the Central Highlands Region

Commission note: Commissioned by Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra.

First performance: by Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra at Camerata: Classical Reimagined (Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music) on 7 May 2022

Performances of this work

15 May 2022: at Camerata: Classical Reimagined (Edkins Park (Longreach)). Featuring Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra.

14 May 2022: at Camerata: Classical Reimagined (Barcaldine Town Hall). Featuring Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra.

12 May 2022: at Camerata: Classical Reimagined (Emerald Botanic Gardens). Featuring Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra.

10 May 2022: at Camerata: Classical Reimagined (Pilbeam Theatre). Featuring Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra.

8 May 2022: at Camerata: Classical Reimagined (Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music). Featuring Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra.

7 May 2022: at Camerata: Classical Reimagined (Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music). Featuring Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra.

User reviews

Be the first to share your thoughts, opinions and insights about this work.

To post a comment please login.