Australian music

Composed over just eight days in 1960, Malcolm Williamson described the piece as ‘an overtly Australian work aiming at spontaneity and vigour rather than profundity.’

Of Cantilena Pacifica, Richard Meale wrote, “…it became clear that the work could not be based on any artifice. Its existence had to lie in its emotional truth.”

Characterised by striking tensions, and bold rhythms, harmonies and orchestration, its florid passages and extended double-stopping figures demand a virtuosic soloist.

Richard Meale’s Coruscations is ‘…dazzling and remarkably lyrical music.’

The composers have produced a piece for large ensemble which explores the concepts of evolving or unfolding – sounds and visual images are developed through controlled randomness.

“Music is an ‘essential service’ for our mind, heart and soul. As each note unfolds, the journey salves and challenges our thoughts and feelings. And when we reach the final cadence, we are completely transformed.”

“Quietude is one of those unique works that brings everyone who listens to it physical sensations at the sheer scale of its expression and meaning.”

“The piece is intended to capture the butterflies that such women must have felt as they embarked on their journey; travelling to the other end of the earth, facing many unknowns, carrying a sense of purpose, responsibility and, perhaps, naiveté about what lay ahead.”

“Originally intended as a ‘Paris Suite’ memorial for the bombings in 2015, this musical celebration of Parisian artistic life took a dramatic turn when the roof of Nôtre Dame cathedral burned down on April 15, 2019. I was composing a scene of fluid and moonlit river Seine when, among many others around the globe, I stopped to watch in horror via internet as the spire collapsed.”

“Despair and determination compete. The rare unison moment is celebrated. But still the question remains. What will it take to bring us together?”