The fury side embraces the heaviness of doom metal, punk, and progressive rock, while the fizz captures the energy of electronic dance music, disco, and dixieland.
Program note
Holly Harrison
Fizzin’ Fury
Fizzin’ Fury is inspired by musical genres associated with moshing and upbeat movement. The fury side embraces the heaviness of doom metal, punk, and progressive rock, while the fizz captures the energy of electronic dance music, disco, and dixieland. At times, the mosh can be felt as an up and down movement or a side to side motion, with moments of slo-mo thrown in too. Distorted chords combine to sound like overdriven guitar, while joyous strains of horns and winds try to break through.
There is proportionally more ‘fizz’ in the first half of the work. As the piece continues, it becomes darker and fractures, slipping into a swampy drone-led section, reminiscent of low pulsing synthesisers. Here, the flute solo sees an unlikely suspect take the lead, before being swallowed up by the rest of the orchestra. You’ll have to wait to hear what happens next…
© Holly Harrison
Holly Harrison, Australian composer
Holly Harrison is a young Australian composer from Western Sydney. Holly’s music is driven by the nonsense literature of Lewis Carroll, embracing stylistic juxtapositions, the visceral energy of rock, and whimsical humour. Her music has been performed in Australia, Asia, Europe, and the USA. She has recently been announced as the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s first ACS composer in residence across 2020 and 2021.
Holly’s music has been performed by artists including four-time Grammy award-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird, Alarm Will Sound, Australian Youth Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, Orkest de Ereprijs, Goldmund Quartett, and Nu Deco Ensemble.
Her works have been heard at the 2020 String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam (NL), Gaudeamus Muziekweek (NL), November Music (NL), LA Phil’s Noon to Midnight (USA), Sounds of Sweden (SWE), and Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (USA).
Holly has held composer in residence positions at MLC School and Prairiewood High School. She plays drum kit in the improvised rock duo, Tabua- Harrison – their debut record Scout is available on Psychopyjama.