Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

String Quintet No. 3: Dreaming in the Sand visualises the early stages of colonisation through a dream of a nation founded on inclusivity. This enduring dream continues to shape Australia today.

The piece opens with Dreaming in the Sand (part one), an ode to the Australian landscape, the ancient traditions and the ongoing aspiration for an unreservedly symbiotic relationship between two diverse cultures. The next movement mimics a day in the life of the Kangaroo until a pivotal moment at Kamay (Botany Bay) when James Cook's arrival in Australia is depicted as a Ghost on the Beach. Following this epochal event, the Kangaroo Rides the Desert Skies as it embarks on a journey to the next world, symbolising the country's transition to a new era.

In this narrative, Suzannah Sails with the First Fleet to the southern land and develops a profound connection with an original inhabitant named Wadni, who awaits her arrival on the shore. Discovering his unique abilities, Suzannah came to describe him as The Gentle Warrior. Their bond is expressed by the Dance on the Divide, representing the joining of two disparate worlds and the quest for peace amidst conflict. This theme persists through to the next movement, The Crow and the Irishman, which highlights fleeting moments of unity amidst discord, calling to mind the music the Irish convicts would play to remember the culture they left behind. The composition concludes with Dreaming in the Sand (part two), reaffirming the enduring nature of the dream and pays homage to the ancient Map of Songs that began the story of our nation thousands of generations before the coming of the ships.

This optimistic work is driven by the words that unite Suzannah and Wadni: "If we can dream of a beautiful world made from two different cultures, then it must be possible."

Work Details

Year: 2020

Instrumentation: 2 Violins, viola, cello, bass.

Duration: 32 min.

Difficulty: Medium

Contents note: I. Dreaming in the Sand (part one) -- II. Kangaroo -- III. Ghost on the Beach -- IV. Kangaroo Rides the Desert Skies -- V. The Gentle Warrior -- VI. Suzannah Sails -- VII. Dance on the Divide -- VIII. The Crow and the Irishman -- IX. Dreaming in the Sand (part two).