Fynbos (2016)
(for overtone singer, solo violin, solo cello and string orchestra)

Fynbos is commissioned by the British conductor and violinist Hugo Ticciati and the O/Modernt Kammarorkester Stockholm and is inspired by the famous landscape Fynbos in South Africa.
The overtonsinger is Gareth Lubbe, born in Johannesburg in South Africa and now living in Essen.

Franke wrote about his composition:

I started my working period actually with a Japanese poem as my way to get inspired: 

SIMPLICITY

The pine tree lives for a thousand years,
The morning-glory but for a single day;
Yet both have fulfilled their destiny.

The other inspiring image was the South African landscape Fynbos, a tribute to Gareth Lubbe and his home country, which I like so much.

Here I used also a very famous song from South Africa, the click song, the first part of the song:

Igqirha lendlela nguqongqothwane
The diviner follows the road as a dung beetle (translation) 

Some more thoughts/words/splitters about FYNBOS:

eternity - nature - god - birth - cells - nothing - spring - warmness - growing - body - voice - singing - summer - space - community - autumn - circle

Bernd Franke