Chamber Concerto (2008)
(for Flute, Percussion & Large Ensemble)

This Chamber Concerto draws on diverse popular music influences and is essentially non–programmatic. The first movement is fast and inspired by 1970’s electronica. Marked ‘dark, robotic’ it is driven by contrasts: soloists (piccolo & glockenspiel) versus tutti, high versus low, major versus minor, dense versus sparse – but is ultimately consumed by itself in a vortex of polytonal arpeggios. The slower second movement features the alto flute and vibraphone as a duet within a 1980’s soul/pop context and the final movement is fast–paced whirlwind of Bulgarian rhythms and contemporary jazz harmonies (flute & vibraphone). These three movements are separated by two brief interludes in which the flute and percussion soloists do not play. The work was commissioned by Father Arthur Bridge (Ars Musica Australis) for Emma Sholl, Claire Edwardes and the Sydney Omega Ensemble.

The chamber concerto is in three movements. The first movement opens with bold, broad ensemble chords alternating with piccolo and glockenspiel doubling each other in glistening high patterns. The patterns are then picked up by the piano and the music begins to unfold in a series of hard cuts between the two and a pulsing, electronica-inspired texture, before broadening out into whole ensemble melodies that take you back to the opening music.

After an ensemble interlude of slowly rising chords, the soloists return with smooth lounge sounds on vibraphone and alto flute. The ensemble joins in and suddenly you're in a 1970s cocktail lounge, complete with slow, groovy clicks, low-plucked bass and tapping cymbal. This movement also gives some of the melodic action to one of the violinists, duetting with the flute. The movement ends with a slow bell-tree flourish.

After the second rising scale interlude, the vibraphone launches the third movement with Bulgarian-inspired irregular rhythmic phrases of two-note chords. After a few minutes, the high-pitched glockenspiel returns with solo of delicate, pulsing notes paving the way for a return to the broad chords of the first movement, now driven by the irregular rhythms of the third framing the some joyful final lines from the two soloists.

Instrumentation: Flute (doubling piccolo and alto flute), percussion (glockenspiel and vibraphone) and large ensemble (oboe, Bb clarinet, horn, bassoon, piano, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass)

First performance: Sydney Omega Ensemble: David Rowden (director/clarinet), Emma Sholl (flute soloist), Shefali Pryor (oboe), Matthew Ockenden (bassoon), Katie Chilmaid (violin), Emily Long (violin), Jacqui Cornin (viola), Rowena Crouch (cello), David Campbell (double bass), Kate Golla (piano), and guest artists Claire Edwardes (percussion soloist); Sophie Cole (violin), and Euan Harvey (horn), Music Workshop, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, 7/09/2008