This Saturday (Jan 28), the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are premiering a new composition called you are meadow.
Here’s a short description about the work:
you are meadow is a composition that is guided by two discrete—and personal—musical worlds: the world of the colliery band (a tradition of brass bands in working-class coal mining communities in Australia and the UK) and the world of contemporary instrumental music (specifically, my practice as an improvising bassist). The small string section, consisting of nine players in total, interrupts romantic notions of a lush, full and rich orchestral string sound. Rather than fight the inherent imbalances, I decided to split the orchestra into two smaller ensembles: the woodwinds and brass in one section; and piano, harp, percussion and strings in the other. Furthermore, each player in the 25-piece orchestra has their own individual part in an attempt to move beyond standardised sections—highlighting the unique voice that each instrumentalist brings to the collective. After introducing the two ensembles, they merge together in an orchestral tutti, but once this concrescence occurs they are suddenly ripped apart—an unexpected death.
Tickets are sold out, however, the performance will be live streamed here:
