Audio Sample
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Performance by Halcyon from the CD Sunburnt aftertones |
Selected products featuring this work — Display all products (3 more)
Display all products featuring this work (3 more) 
Work Overview
This work in four movements follows the journey of four women on a ship from England to Australia in the early 1850s. It documents their fears, hopes, loss and anticipation at beginning life in a new country. It looks at their quirky, beautiful and gut-wrenching experiences.
Work Details
Year: 2006
Instrumentation: Mezzo-soprano, clarinet/bass clarinet in B flat, percussion, piano.
Duration: 24 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Contents note: 1: No ordinary traveller -- 2: Ship life -- 3: One dark sky -- 4. An end that marks a start.
Commission note: Commissioned for Halcyon with funds provided by Arts Victoria.
First performance: by Halcyon — 27 Sep 06. Trackdown Scoring Stage and Studios, Sydney
Revised 2010
Subjects
- In the form/style of: Song Cycles
Performances of this work
22 Sep 2011: at Syzygy Ensemble- Higher Ground (Melbourne Recital Centre). Featuring Syzygy Ensemble.
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My favourite Australian art song repertoire
Posted by Australian Music Centre on 22 July, 2013
The AMC asked leading practitioners to select their favourite Australian art song repertoire, to provide delegates to the 2013 International Conference of Vocal Teachers (Brisbane 2013) with an introduction to this rich and diverse landscape.
A lovely and substantial cycle for mezzo and small chamber ensemble in four movements. The texts are derived from diaries of female immigrants on the journey to Australia in the mid nineteenth century as they journey to an unknown land. The singer has the chance to reflect the different characters of these travellers as they express their simple hopes and longings, deep griefs and trivial daily experiences. Abbott’s melodies are graceful and eminently singable and the instruments add great colour to the accompanying lines, although it can require some time to co-ordinate the ensemble. The piece moves from moments of great stillness when the sea is ‘at ease’ to more rollicking dances.
Jenny Duck-Chong