$POA
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Work Overview
The title of this work is significant in two ways: first, it is a reference to and an echo of the medieval poem Chanson de Roland; second, it is a setting of the first four stanzas of the poem Chanson from the first book of Sonnets pour Hélène by the poet Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585).
There are no barlines in the score but small notches, one per second, mark the flow of time. One of the singers has maracas, the other has claves, which they play between stanzas of the poem, interacting with the percussionist.
In 1976, Chanson de Ronsard, was chosen as one of the works to represent Australia at the ISCM Music Days, held at Boston, Mass., to mark the US Bicentenary Celebrations.
Work Details
Year: 1974
Instrumentation: Soprano, countertenor, percussion (maracas, claves, bongos, tom-toms, wood block, cymbal, gong, triangle).
Duration: 15 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Dedication note: The work is dedicated to Elaine (an old-French spelling of Hélène) "avec cent mignardises", also a quotation from Ronsard - a "mignardise" then meant a sweet little caress.
First performance: by Margaret Field, Hartley Newnham, Peter Kelly — 5 Sep 75. Watters Gallery, East Sydney
Performances of this work
5 Jul 92: New Music Australia 1992 at Melbourne University. Featuring Graham Hair, Voiceworks, Symeron.
8 Sep 77: Geelong College Spring Concert, Geelong, Victoria. Featuring Hartley Newnham, Margaret Field, John Seal.
5 Sep 75: Watters Gallery, East Sydney. Featuring Margaret Field, Peter Kelly, Hartley Newnham.
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