Student Composition Showcase, 9 October 2024

Composition Students Showcase
C7
9 October 2024
COMPOSITION I & II

(2ND & 3RD YEAR STUDENTS OF ASSOC. PROF MARTIN WATT &
GRANT MCLACHLAN)


MARIA ALLMAN

Phoebe Andrews, soprano
David Lubbe, piano

The Lily

Symbolic of the Lily in and of itself, the work uses minimalist piano accompaniment with a repeating motif in the right hand. A very open atmosphere, it allows the words to speak for themselves. The Lily forms part of William Blake’s 1794 collection, “Songs of Innocence and Experience.”


Thula Baba

Given the task in Term 1 of “reimagining” a traditional folksong, the work is a take on the Zulu lullaby, Thula Baba, with the idea of pulse and interlocking as its driving force.
Sung by a mother to her child, they wait for the child’s father to arrive back home from work.


SARAH-ANNE KLEINSCHMIDT

The Last One

Solomon Mannel, flute

The Lost One is a solo work for Flute depicting the loneliness of a lost baby animal. It has two distinct sections with the first depicting the devastation and sorrow of the baby animal and based on the Phrygian mode. The second depicts the terror of being a vulnerable young animal in a wild and dangerous environment and follows a more chromatic harmonic direction. I composed this piece to depict the, very common, feeling of being lost among young people especially in today’s constantly changing world.


The Jade Warriors

Helen Liu, violin
David Lubbe, piano

The Jade Warriors is a violin and piano piece using motifs based on the pentatonic scale. I titled it ‘The Jade Warriors’ because the piece slightly followed both the tumultuous and humorous aspects of the friendship between two warriors from an animated series.

EDEN MACFARLANE-JONES
Dark Eyes
Mia-Lana Hough, soprano
François Du Toit, piano
‘Dark Eyes’ is a widely cherished Russian romance. The lyrics were written by Ukrainian poet and author Yevhen Hrebinka and were first published on January 17th, 1843. The associated melody was later borrowed from the German composer Florian Hermann’s “Valse Hommage” in 1884. In my arrangement, I have used Peter Farnbank’s English translation of the text.




RHULANI RIKHOTSO

5,4,3,2,1

Annika Nowak, clarinet
Rhulani Rikhotso, piano

The title of this work derives its name from its unusual 5/8 time signatures. Its equivocal opening refuses to make use of a key signature, but as the energy settles, the work resigns to a tonic of A.


Wondering in breathe

Katy Raiconizer trumpet

This piece explores the breathe work that goes into playing the trumpet. With different projections of the breathe it’s almost as if the music creates the timbre of the instrument.

TAMICA BRITZ

Passerine

Paul Richard, alto saxophone

This composition draws inspiration from the call of a songbird by capturing the delicate essence of the passerine’s melody. Through the free use of the octatonic scale, a single melodic line is developed, rising and evolving in flight.



K’niyah

Tamica Britz, soprano saxophone
Paul Richard, alto saxophone
Seth Alexander, tenor saxophone
Samuel Njoroge, baritone saxophone

“K’niyah” is a contemplative movement that embodies the themes of acceptance and tranquillity. The piece invites listeners to reflect on the serenity that arises from relinquishing the desire to control every aspect of life. Through its slow, deliberate progression, it encourages an appreciation for the beauty found in surrendering to the natural flow of existence.



HANNAH MACKAY

Remember

Andrea Rachelle, oboe

‘Remember’ is a nostalgic piece written for solo oboe in ternary form. Based on a triplet motif which reappears, the opening section titled “Lento ma sempre rubato” is played gently, creating a solemn mood, reflecting reminiscent or nostalgic thoughts. The contrasting second section is played in a faster tempo, reflecting racing thoughts which eventually returns to the original lento tempo.





EDEN MACFARLANE-JONES
The Jacaranda Blossom

Helen Liu, violin 1
Bernadette Goemans, violin 2
Loren Ehlers, viola
Zoe Torres, cello

‘The Jacaranda Blossom’ is a transcription of a short piano piece written for my girlfriend, Lucy, whose favourite tree is a Jacaranda.














LOREN EHLERS

Right Hand Piano Miniatures for an Accordionist, No.1

Loren Ehlers, piano



Impromptu from Two Mayan Melodies

Helen Liu, violin 1
Bernadette Goemans, violin 2
Loren Ehlers, viola
Zoe Torres, cello

This work was inspired by a recording of the traditional Mayan music of Guatemala by Musica Maya AJ. This work serves as a combination of Mayan melody and formal structure with Western classical music’s harmonic and structural elements. This work does not copy or appropriate Mayan cultural elements, but is merely inspired by them. I, as the composer and creator of this work, have the utmost respect for Mayan music and cultural elements and can only hope that the listeners and performers of this work share that respect.