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Commissioned in 2000 by the NZTrio, A Feather of Blue takes its title from a phrase in a poem called A View From A Window by New Zealand writer Kevin Ireland. I have always admired the wry humour and brightness of Kevin Ireland’s writing and many years ago set three of his poems for soprano and mixed ensemble. As a kind gesture Mr Ireland sent me a copy of his book of poems Skinning A Fish, and I was particularly struck by the imagery of colours, flowers, feathers and birds in this poem, which illustrates rain pouring down a window pane and giving way to a burst of sunshine after a storm.

Maria Grenfell

• Grenfell: A Feather of Blue; computer-set 

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• Grenfell: A Feather of Blue; computer-set 

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• Grenfell: A Feather of Blue; computer-set 

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• Grenfell: A Feather of Blue; computer-set 

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• New Zealand Trio - Spark  Year: 2004 

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Angst: an acute but non-specific sense of anxiety or remorse (Collins Concise Dictionary). This is not intended to be an easy-listening, carefree piece. I wanted to portray a deep-seated sense of angst, creating a feeling of uneasiness in the listener. The flute and cello bear a similar angst, at times dealing with this independently, yet always returning to share in their anxiety. Quarter-tone inflections disconcert the harmonies, with tremolo, flutter-tongue and a recurring minor ninth adding to the tension. The material gradually unravels, only to fold in on itself again, remaining unresolved.

• Morgan: ...and yet, not; computer set 

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• Morgan: ...and yet, not; computer set 

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• Rachael Morgan: ...and yet, not; audio 

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• Works by Rachael Morgan 

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Antikythera is an island between Greece and a larger island called Kythera. It is the site of a very significant archeological find in 1901. The object was a complex piece of clockwork machinery designed to calculate astronomical positions It has been dated to 150-100 BC.

The device is remarkable for the level of miniaturisation and complexity of its parts showing a craftsmanship comparable t that of 18th century clocks.

The music seeks to convey the interaction between the components of the clockwork mechanism and the idea that this think has lain dormant for 2000 years and has been carefully reconstructed.

• Scholes: Antikythera; computer-set 

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• Peter Scholes: Antikythera 

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• Crehan: At the Breaking Point; computer-set 

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• Crehan: At the breaking Point; computer-set 

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• Rimmer: Burning the Calories; computer-set 

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• Rimmer: Burning the Calories; computer-set 

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• Rimmer: Burning the Calories; computer set 

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• Rimmer: Burning the Calories; computer set 

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• John Rimmer: Burning the Calories; audio 

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• Gardner: ever not quite; computer set 

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• Gardner: ever not quite; computer-set 

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“The boundary between collection and fetishism is mediated by classification and display in tension with accumulation and secrecy.” Two musical strands run virtually throughout this short piece, sometimes clearly differentiated, at other times more obscure and confused, but always at some level presenting an opposition between an ‘organic’, accretional layer and an ‘inorganic’ abruptly changing one. This opposition can operate not only at surface level – as it does at the beginning, when two highly differentiated instrumental combinations are presented, each with their own characteristic modes of behaviour – but also at a subcutaneous level, when applied to various ways of generating or modifying the basic material. These concerns form only the technical armature and implementation of the piece, of course, and much of the original musical imagery was suggested by Borges’ short story The Circular Ruins.

While giving the obligatory (questionable?) disclaimer about the piece in no way being programmatic, much of the mood and atmosphere of the story was certainly in my mind during the initial sketching stages, and it seems to me that its central conceit – one human dreaming another into existence, by sheer will – is a marvellous metaphor for the act of composition.

• Gardner: Fetish Effigies; computer-set 

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• Gardner: Fetish Effigies; computer-set  Year: 2005 

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• James Gardner: Selected Works 

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• Gardner: Charge and other works 

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• Waiteata Collection of New Zealand Music Vol. 8 - Chamber Music II  Year: 2005 

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I heard Alanis Morrissette’s song Hand in My Pocket when I visited Canada in 1996. I’m intrigued by songs that we remember in spite of ourselves. When Alanis sings I’m short but I’m healthy, I’m high but I’m grounded I think of Greg Oh biking to NYC. I do hope that everything’s going be fine, fine, fine.

Juliet Palmer

• Palmer: Five; computer-set 

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• Palmer: Five; computer-set 

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• Juliet Palmer: Five; video 

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• Juliet Palmer: Five 

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• Lardelli: Four Fragments; computer set 

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• Lardelli: Four Fragments; computer set 

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• Waiteata Collection of New Zealand Music Vol. 7 - Emerging Composers  Year: 2003 

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This is the “permanent exhibit” from the work in progress called ‘given what we gather takes place’. The model for the whole work is that of a museum in which some exhibits are on permanent display, and others are brought up from the storeroom. In other words, some sections of music are always to be played, while others are chosen by the performers from a pool of material to present a unique exhibition for each performance. The percussionist’s instrumental collection is similarly assembled; some categories of instruments are specified while others are chosen by the percussionist with the added stipulation that some aspect of the instruments chosen must be unique to the location of the performance. The music of this particular “exhibit” alludes to, but does not use, folk-like material and is conceived as a playful sparring match between two friendly opponents. ‘given what we gather takes place’ was commissioned by Resonate Duo, to whom it is dedicated, with funding from Creative New Zealand.

• Gardner: Given what we gather takes place; computer set 

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• Gardner: Given what we gather takes place; computer-set 

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• Given What We Gather Takes Place 

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