For high voice, clarinet in B flat and piano, the five songs are settings of New Zealand poems that evoke poignant memories of past experiences. They are of beyond diploma difficulty for the three performers.
For chamber orchestra consisting of 2 flutes and piccolo, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns; timpani, harp or piano; and strings. Commissioned by the Manawatu Sinfonia with funding from The Arts Council of New Zealand/Toi Aotearoa. Duration approximately 14 minutes.
New Zealanders lives are very much influenced by the moods of nature, Maori mythology and European settlement. So this piece may evoke in the listeners imaginations, seascapes, bush scenes, majestic mountains, and in the middle section, the disruptive influence of civilization.
The poem is a reflection of the transient nature of love and life. The gamelan, being an intergral part of a traditional which sees life as cyclic, maybe offers a balance. I have endeavoured to express this polarity by using traditional materials in non-traditional ways.
I. Preludio is based on the phrase heard at the start of the piece; elaborated with triadic harmonies. II. Variazioni is a simple intervallic theme with variations. Composed for guitarist Kazuhito Yamashita, who requested a piece for solo guitar. He first performed the work at Kirishima, Kyushu in February, 1996.