Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

For several years I had been dreaming about a work which would bring Mohamed and Joseph together in performance. When the opportunity to compose this concerto fell into place, I had recently returned from trips to the Great Barrier Reef with my children. It seemed to me that the incredible energy and exquisite detail of Mohamed's percussion could be a wonderful expressive resource to evoke the vibrant Reef ecosystem. Just as the interdependent strands of West African polyrhythm enable an astonishing variety of expression with relatively limited means, so too the Reef sustains an extraordinarily rich biodiversity through a rapid cycling of limited nutrients, bound together through symbioses which have evolved over hundreds of millions of years.

Needless to say, traversing the cultural divide between Guinean and Western art music has been both incredibly exhilarating, and at times extremely challenging. Today's performance is a testament to the artistic vision, courage and thrilling virtuosity of the two soloists and the conductor.

Work Details

Year: 2023

Instrumentation: Solo alto saxophone, solo percussion, piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 3 clarinets in B flat, bass clarinet in B flat, contrabass clarinet in B flat, soprano saxophone, 2 alto saxophones, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass saxophone, 3 trumpets in B flat, 4 horns in F, 2 trombones, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, kora, 2 harps, piano, double bass, 6 percussion.

Duration: 20 min.

Difficulty: Advanced — A high degree of intercultural expertise is required. All parts feature contemporary techniques and rhythmic complexity.

Contents note: Ocean Currents --  Island Interlude --  Plankton -- Coral Gardens -- Reef colours -- Oceans Warming -- Bleaching -- Coral Spawning -- Regeneration.

Dedication note: for Mohamed, Ingrid and Joseph, and the plants and animals of the Reef.

Commission note: Commissioned by Melbourne University Wind Symphony.