Score
Riversong : for SSA choir and piano / words and music by Keren Terpstra.
Library shelf no. 782.6542/TER 1 [Available for loan]
Work Overview
The words and the music of this piece are inspired by the rivers in my life. The ideas for both the lyrics and music came to me at "Milton Reach", the bend of the Brisbane River closest to Milton's Park Rd. The Brisbane River has woven its way through my psyche and experience for many years. But even in that moment, the three rivers that are now part of my life were also in my mind: I regularly walk along the Plenty River and Diamond Creek, both of which feed into the Yarra. This piece in some ways is a reflection on all the connection between the river of my home city, and the rivers that surround my home now. Rivers are places of great mystery, teeming ecosystems full of (often unexpected) life. The words capture some of the wonder of river systems as well as some of the spiritual significance that they have for many people. The music has a number of influences: Judee Sill's The Kiss, the music of Ludovico Einaudi, the soundtrack for the Japanese anime Yuri!!! on Ice, and those who are well-acquainted with Baroque music will recognise the ground bass. There is even an echo of Seal's Kiss from a rose
Work Details
Year: 2017
Instrumentation: SSA choir, piano.
Duration: 5 min.
Difficulty: Medium
Commission note: Commissioned by Faye Dumont.. Commissioned for the Voices of Women Festival
First performance: 23 Sep 17. Camberwell Girls' Grammar
Performances of this work
23 Sep 17: Camberwell Girls' Grammar
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