Audio Sample
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Performance by Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier from the CD A bridge of dreams |
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CD
A bridge of dreams / Ars Nova Copenhagen ; Paul Hillier with Andrew Lawrence King.
Library shelf no. CD 2253 [Not for loan]
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Score
Sacred kingfisher psalms : for mixed choir / Ross Edwards.
Library shelf no. 782.555294/EDW 1 [Not for loan]
Work Overview
I began to compose Sacred Kingfisher Psalms immediately
after completing another a capella choral work, Missa Alchera
(Mass of the Dreaming) for the Brisbane Chamber Choir. I
compiled texts excerpted from the Latin Vulgate versions of
Psalms 1 and 130 as well as the names of birds in the language of
the Aboriginal people who inhabited the district that is now
Sydney long before Europeans arrived in Australia. These ancient
texts have in common a strong sense of the spirit and
significance of place and an awareness and acceptance of implicit
natural laws recognized throughout the ages as being essential
for balance and harmony, renewal - and, ultimately, survival. I
have treated them musically as both chants and praises with a
strong connection to the earth.
The work springs abruptly from the interiority of Psalm 130 into
a vigorous 'bird chant'. In this ritual chanting of bird names,
prominent among them dyaramak, the sacred kingfisher, a
close relation of the kookaburra, there are many resonances of
earlier material as well as a return to the Phrygian mode and its
pentatonic derivatives which underpin the psalm settings. No
attempt has been made to mimic either Aboriginal music or
birdsong: the rhythmic patterns and drones are directly
influenced by my subconscious absorption of the sounds of the
south eastern coastal environment of Australia where I have spent
most of my life. The spontaneous appearance of some universal
characteristics of children's song seemed in keeping with the
theme of renewal.
Work Details
Year: 2009
Instrumentation: SSATBarB choir (or solo voices).
Duration: 13 min.
Commission note: Commissioned by Rev. Dr Arthur Bridge, Edinburgh International Festival Society, The Song Company, Ars Nova Copenhagen.
First performance: by The Song Company, Roland Peelman at The Wellspring (Fitters' Workshop) on 22 May 2010
Awards & Prizes
Year | Award | Placing | Awarded for/to |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Art Music Awards: Work of the Year: Vocal/Choral | Finalist | Ross Edwards |
Analysis
Resonate article: 2012 Art Music Awards - comments by judging panels by Australian Music Centre
Subjects
- Influenced by: Christian music
- Influenced by: Indigenous Australian Culture
- Influenced by: Birdsong
Performances of this work
1 Dec 2018: at The Song Company: Fauré + Edwards (Verbrugghen Hall). Featuring The Song Company.
4 Dec 2013: at Of Birds & Angels: The Song Company (Melbourne Recital Centre, Primrose Potter Salon). Featuring The Song Company.
1 Dec 2013: at Of Birds & Angels: The Song Company (Centre for Christianity, Barton). Featuring The Song Company.
30 Nov 2013: at Of Birds & Angels: The Song Company (Newcastle Conservatorium Concert Hall). Featuring The Song Company.
27 Nov 2013: at Of Birds & Angels: The Song Company (City Recital Hall). Featuring The Song Company.
25 Nov 2013: at Of Birds & Angels: The Song Company (Wollongong Town Hall). Featuring The Song Company.
22 May 2010: at The Wellspring (Fitters' Workshop). Featuring The Song Company, Roland Peelman.
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