Composition Showcase program

QUEENSLAND CONSERVATORIUM GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY COMPOSITION DEPARTMENT

A Night of New Music A student composition showcase concert

October 22nd • 6 PM Ian Hanger Recital Hall

The Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University acknowledges the original indigenous custodians of the land that we are gathered on here today, the Turrubul and Jagarra nations. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge that this land was never ceded

Program Schedule Sebastian Lingane The One Page Codex for Solo Flute The One Page Codex is a demanding and idiosyncratic piece that floats illusively around its own centre. Based on one harmonic sound, the title references that the work has a short narrative and that it uses few ideas to create an abundance of content. The flute dances across its range like words on a page, repeating itself and exploring different bromides. Once a notion has been traversed, perhaps the flute itself must create an innovative, new sound.

Dale Schlaphoff Depth for String Quartet Depth is a piece I wrote earlier this year to explore and delve into feelings of frustration, confusion and anger I was feeling in regards to COVID-19’s quarantine. The piece has no specific story or program but rather moves through an array of emotions pushing deeper and deeper into the mind and to the root of these negative emotions. The piece begins rather abruptly and violently with a striking discourse felt between all four instruments. This mood, bookending the entire quartet, is a representation of pure anger and frustration. Proceeding the opening motif, a new idea is introduced, one representing a moment of clarity amidst the turmoil and aggression. However this moment only occurs briefly before turning into anxiety, represented through a more sparse and contentious atmosphere. The piece then moves to a fairly rhythmic section featuring a repetitive ostinato texture, terrace dynamics and multimetre.

This intricate section contrasts the rest of the work and is designed to represent confusion and the unknown, the source and foundational cause of the anger and frustration felt earlier. It shifts and changes, never settling into a consistent pulse and throwing the listener off balance.

Finally the work closes as it began, with the same fiery anger felt before, climaxing in an abrupt and aggressive call into the deep void.

Yvette Agapow I TURNED EVERY AWFUL THING YOU GAVE ME INTO SOMETHING WORSE BUT BEAUTIFUL for percussion and prepared piano I TURNED EVERY AWFUL THING YOU GAVE ME INTO SOMETHING WORSE BUT BEAUTIFUL is a two movement duet for prepared piano and vibraphone that explores musical transformation through the introduction of new harmonic layers, ideas and timbres. The piano’s sound is altered through the inclusion of discarded objects like bolts, eating utensils and pieces of plastic within its strings while the vibraphone is pushed idiomatically to create noises alternative to ones that simply serve harmony. While Yvette’s compositional practice is primarily based in theatre, noise, improvisation and absurdism as a tool for emotional escapism and expressionism, this piece is her first fully traditionally notated composition and is concerned with the momentary letting go of pain and anger in favour of growth and change whether it be positive or otherwise.

Hannah Cheetham Autumn Rain for Vocal Ensemble Autumn Rain is an account reminiscing the seasons past, both literally & metaphorically. It also expresses the unfolding hope for seasons yet to come.

Justin Todd Never Not Indecisive (final final new newest cut finalllll version) for Flute and Clarinet Anyone who knows me well will know that I can be frustratingly indecisive. Therefore, Never Not Indecisive (final final new newest cut finalllll version) is a fun piece portraying my typical (indecisive) decision process. It begins with a simple idea, before slight changes here and there slowly unfold – like sudden flip-flopping changes to tempo and dynamics. More and more changes slowly occur, and slowly the piece shifts from the original idea/style to many newer ones. However, as a deadline approaches (or perhaps general frustration or panic ensues), a final decision must be made. Thus the piece frantically concludes, yet only to have returned all the way back to where it started!

Rebecca Armour Gracious Words for Soprano, Cello and Piano Gracious Words was inspired by and is dedicated to Dakotah Love and her faith. This composition shines a spotlight on the importance of our words. The text is based on scripture from Proverbs 15 and 16 and expresses how our words can either give life to others or tear them down.

Ollie Muller Suite no. 1 "Die Wälder" mvt iii-iv for Piano and String Quartet Ever since a young age I have been fascinated by my Dutch heritage. Dating back to the Germanic tribes during the time of the Roman Empire, the family name has been traced to as far as 600 BCE. Knowing this for a large part of my life so far, it has left me with a deep connection to Europe despite the fact I have never visited. Inspired by this, I had made plans to visit Europe this year but as with almost all things travel related, plans were put on hold. Thus I started work on a suite, inspired by the forests of Germany where I had planned to travel to this year. Die Wälder, translated from German to “The woods”, is a Suite comprising of four movements written for an unconventional piano and string quintet with two violas and two cellos. The original concept was to utilize the low and sombre sounds of the ensemble to illustrate the eerie environment, with each movement exploring a different space or mythological being within German folklore. Two movements will be performed in the concert, the third and fourth movements, titled “Regen” (rain) and “Nachzehrer” (a vampire from folklore). Regen integrates a large use of pizzicato and various faster slurred passages to capture the nature of a storm rolling into the forest. The Nachzehrer movement provides a more melodic and harmonically driven waltz, depicting the dark and unsettling transition from a human to the grotesque, flesh-eating vampire in folklore.

Jesse Jones Triple Point for Percussion and String Quartet I began writing this piece towards the end of last year. I composed it quite spontaneously and didn’t really have any overarching storyline or concept that I was trying to convey in the music.

The name 'Triple Point' came from the first three melodic and rhythmic linesI formed on the piano that are played in the marimba, glockenspiel and violin that are embedded throughout.However, when I listen to this piece now I feel as if it describes someone about to embark on a journey to somewhere exciting, full of unknowns but also many possibilities. I'd like to think that that person is me, making my way through my own musical journey: not knowing where I’ll end up, but just enjoying the ride.

Sophia La Selva One With a Nightingale for Piano, Voice, Alto Flute, Violin and Cello This piece, One with a Nightingale was inspired by a poem: Death by Heinrich Heine. Despite the initial negativity that the title depicts, I did not interpret it in that way. I strangely related to the words, and began to envision a small Nightingale singing all alone. The writer says they hear it in their sleep, and I felt I wanted to bring this all out in a dreamy piece. I wrote this piece with specific players and instruments in mind to achieve my ideal sound, and I was already researching Celtic music and its influences regarding recorder, harp and voice. This is why you can hear the Violin and Cello play a lot of pizzicato to imitate the plucking of a Harp, the Alto Flute imitating a Recorder, and the Cello imitating a Kamancha.

Special thanks to Kai Mohrholz for live-streaming and recording the concert, as well as to Gerardo Dirie and Clare Wharton for their assistance in organisation