Symphony no.1

Mahler said “a symphony should be like the world”. In our time, that means a symphony of ephemeral beauty and pressing chaos. Our world is still beautiful, still life-giving, still our ultimate inspiration of life and art. But around every mental corner is a growing disquiet.

 

Embarking on this project I considered what I could possibly give the genre. After all, there is a classical cannon of extraordinary symphonies already. I settled on something less bound by the strictures of the score: music which is really made by its musicians with some freedom, choice and respect. In some ways, a democratised symphony. 

 

In this partial premiere, you’ll hear the first movement of the symphony unfold gradually from a starry night, through clouds of material, into fully fledged symphonic music inspired by Ravel and Sibelius.

 

This Symphony was written in the artist enclave of Hill End in the aftermath of black summer of 2019-2020. I’d like to acknowledge and thank Bathurst Regional Art Gallery’s Hill End Artist in Residence program, and Panagiotis Karamanos and the Modést Orchestra for the opportunity to compose this work.