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Trio for Flute, Harp & Viola
Arafura Haze ~18:30

ISMN:  979-0-720090-59-7

(Pardon the crappy synth recording

Genesis, unconscious associations: I was fortunate in the 1990's to travel to the Northern Territory, touring with Elektra String Quartet or working with the Arafura Music Collective. During those travels, I spent many a time wandering along the coast; looking at, and breathing the Arafura Sea or the scrubby edge of the desert behind. 

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.....and then there was the light; the mornings, dusk, the changing colours and moods, and the hints of other worlds beyond the horizon - a very different Australia than I was familiar with.

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Musically, I made reference to Papuan New Guinean funerary music, performed by a group of individual mourners, each on individual bamboo, single note pipes.  Sad to say, I can't be any more specific than that in acknowledging their culture, or the source; I can't remember where or when I saw them; apologies to the beings of that cultural world........ RC, 12th July 2020

Original sketches: Arafura Haze, 26th April, 1998 (?)

Reworked/developed: 8th - 29th Feb, 2020 Byron Bay

Trio for Flute, Guitar & Cello
Into the Depths...  ~15:00

ISMN: 979-0-720090-84-9 

(Pardon the crappy synth recording

​Some of the ideas for this work initially came from my Sonata for Solo Guitar. I was intending to simply arrange a section for trio, for some friends looking for repertoire. Needless to say, I wrote it for Carla in the end....(who could ask for anything, or anyone, more...!)

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However, as so often happens, ideas take on a life of their own; demanding new structures, new responses to the unbidden questions and stirrings of my deeper psyche, let alone the growing sense of despair which has come to characterise this late stage of my life. (Lord, let it not be for the remainder of my natural term of life).

 

As such, and needless to say, this work came into being almost organically; which is not surprising, being an organic kind of guy.

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Composed:                -17th March - 27th May 2021

Trio for Flute, Viola & Piano
Mirni Dan (Peaceful Day)  ~13:30

ISMN: 979-0-720090-97-9 

During one of my visits to Linsey P. at Kin Kin, I sketched out some simple ideas for a piece for us to play ... I wanted them to be very calm, very peaceful; I called it Mirni Dan.  I think we read through it once, maybe played it at one of the concerts we would put on together in the local Kin Kin School of the Arts Hall. This was in post Paranormal days. Then forgotten for a long time.  When I took it up again, some time in 2021, I developed it a lot, and then decided to add the Allegro groove (6/4 -2/4). Carla and I read through some of the earlier versions  before it became a Trio.

 

13th Nov, 2022 - decided to add viola (flute and piano is too much like, well, .... a duo for flute and piano, if you get my drift!?). I had been thinking for a while to add Vla, D. bass and perc (incl vibes) anyway, but for simplicity's sake, I just stick to this version as a Trio. Done. Enough. When I get around to it, I'll finish the version for just flute and piano -or not; who cares, and what does it matter.

London St, Enmore, Sydney  -27th Nov, 2022

Original sketch: ~15th Dec, 1993

Reworked/developed: 26th Oct, 2021 - 29th Nov, 2022

Trios for Flute, Violin & Viola Slavic Grooves & Meditations

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ISMN: 979-0-720090-34-4

This is the second incarnation of Slavic Grooves and Meditations, a re-working of a set of ideas I originally wrote in duo form for Carla and myself. Having organised (well, it was actually Robert Harris) a small tour in Europe for the Elektra Collektive (violin and viola) playing my Reflections on Life, Death, and Transience in 2014, what better way to create more variety, both in form and colour in the program than to add viola to the Slav Duos.

 

This allowed, of course, for many more possibilities than that afforded by duo, so, they are now quite different from the original duos, as well as some new movements altogether. Tempted as I am to say that the next incarnation (for quintet) is the 'final' version, they are all complete, and dare I say perfect in their own unique ways,

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Given that some of the original "Duo" movements were conceived, and performed with percussion, these 'Trios' will actually end up as "Quartets", (when I get around to it) with the inclusion of percussion. As a concession to the straighter classical world, they can however be played quite effectively, without, (that is if you want to present a limp, boring as shit 'classical' trio concert....... yawn, fidget......... discretely check your mobile in your lap..... yawn.... polite clap............. Well, let's be frank, who will perform any of these pieces anyway.

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Sunday 24th September, 2017 London

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Well, yes, but I think I was probably depressed and despairing at the time; these pieces do work incredibly well, now that I think of it ...and our performances of them in Europe always went down to great acclaim and appreciation!?

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Monday, 30th May, 2022 -London St, Enmore (Sydney!)

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