Score
Bikeway : for carillon and tape / Ronan Apcar.
Library shelf no. 786.64/APC 1 [Available for loan]
Work Overview
Bikeway is a short piece for carillon and a tape part made out of the sounds of my bicycle, inspired by my years living in Canberra and commuting along what my friends and I affectionately called the "bike highway," or bikeway for short. In this piece, I've tried to capture that feeling of joy - even a bit of excitement and wonder - I felt riding around Canberra. You'll hear gear changes, kickstands, pedalling, chains, spinning wheels, hard brakes, and bicycle bells in the tape part.
The bike path I rode along almost every day cut through the inner north of Canberra, stretching from the Australian National University up through Turner, O'Connor, Lyneham, and then cutting across Northbourne Avenue to Dickson and Downer. For an inner-city commute, it was as easy and bushy as they come - ignoring the magpie swooping season in spring...
One of the themes that Thomas Laue, a Senior Carillonist at the National Carillon in Canberra, suggested was 'regionalism.' I had long wanted to write a piece about the bikeway and so it was a perfect fit that I would be able to write about bicycles for the National Carillon (especially given how many people cycle around Lake Burley Griffin and pass the carillon every day). 'Bikeway' is a very Canberra affair!
Work Details
Year: 2024
Instrumentation: Carillon, tape.
Duration: 3 min.
Difficulty: Medium — if played with a transposing carillon, tape part can be transposed on request
Commission note: Commissioned by Dr Thomas Laue for the National Carillon of Canberra's 55th anniversary and official re-opening in April 2025. Supported by the National Capital Authority, artsACT, and Creative Australia.
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