Work

Programme Note

When Silencio Ensemble asked me to write this piece, it was suggested that I write something inspired by or relevant to Canterbury – one possibility being a piece inspired by the landscape. In a funny kind of way, Mad Cow-Farmer’s Disease is inspired by the landscape – going to a Canterbury river and seeing the signs that say “Do Not Swim” or another where cows are loose in the riverbed and cow shit is all over the place.


It is inspired by dry riverbeds surrounded by farms with pumps constantly irrigating the land – the premise being that any ounce of water that makes it to the sea is wasted. These same farmers, self-titled “environmentalists,” use hypothetical science to justify their wanton destruction of the natural environment.

Commissioned:

Commissioned by Silencio Ensemble, Christchurch for the Canterbury Composers 2008 series

• Silencio

Difficulty:

Advanced

Influences:

• Free jazz
• Landscape - NZ
• Politics

Dedication:

Dedicated to those who sacrifice long-term sustainability and degrade public resources for personal gain

Related Works

Performance History

	03 Oct 2008	Performed by Silencio Ensemble and conducted by Alex van den Broek for the Canterbury Composers 2008 series
		Silencio
	24 Oct 2008	Performed by Silencio at the double bill concert “picnic at limbo ledge” in The Chapel, The Music Centre, Christchurch (with 175 East)
		Silencio
	03 Nov 2008	Performed by the Silencio Ensemble for the Canterbury Composers 2008 series at Christchurch Polytechnic Jazz School, Christchurch
		Silencio