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Work

Butterflies dance : SATB choir

by Matthew Orlovich (2009)

Butterflies dance

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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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