Songs of the Reef (2022)

Instrumentation: SATB Chorus, Children’s Choir, Orchestra & Prerecorded sounds
Commissioned by Crouch End Festival Chorus Text: Cassie To, Cherissma Blackman - Costello Recorded sounds courtesy of Steve Simpson, Professor of Marine Biology & Global Change, University of Bristol

First performed at Alexandra Palace Theatre, London on 23 October 2022 by Crouch End Festival Chorus, conducted by David Temple

Duration: 28 minutes

There is no doubt that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef faces a dire situation. It is the world’s largest coral reef system, and home to an extraordinary wealth of diverse creatures that are under serious threat. There is now a great sense of urgency in stopping irreversible damage and preserving the future of this incredible World Heritage Site. We often hear about the detrimental effects of climate change, pollution, over-fishing and invading species. But what about the impact of human sounds?

Before meeting Professor Steve Simpson I was unaware of how much our marine life depends on communication through sound, and to what extent human noise can disturb this. Through David Temple and Crouch End Festival Chorus, I was given the opportunity to compose Songs of the Reef which aims not only to share the beauty and wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, but also to highlight the devastating consequences of human noise on the Reef and the creatures that inhabit it.

The opening of the work features recordings of healthy reefs, happily buzzing away as the choir and orchestra enter in gentle, ethereal layers. These layers gradually build to a joyous celebration of Bhiral, the creator of the Great Barrier Reef according to the creation story of the Yidinji people, shared by author Cherissma Blackman-Costelloe. The Great Barrier Reef is an ingrained part of their identity – and so it is the voices of those closest to the Reef that set the scene.

From this jubilant opening, we zoom in on the individual creatures that make up the symphony of the sea. The choir and orchestra mimic their sounds, portraying the vibrant, colourful and noisy worlds that exist below the surface.

In celebration of the diverse inhabitants of the Reef, we have a special moment for the largest creature of all – the whale. Whales play an important role not only in the ecosystems of the Reef but within indigenous culture as the Great Elders of the Sea. Cherissma’s jubilant poem ’Yailem-Burra Yawai’ marks the majesty of the whales’ arrival and their significance within the sea.

From this point the piece takes a turn, as the plight of the Great Barrier Reef comes into focus. Eerie recordings from unhealthy reefs are heard in stark contrast to the animated and buzzing sounds of the opening. Harmful human noises are also introduced as the orchestra begins to mimic pile driving, seismic thumping, and passing ships. These sounds build as the music becomes more aggressive and erratic. The horns become deafening as they imitate the destructive crescendo of passing ships, leading to a climax of dissonant noise. What’s left is a desolate and frighteningly quiet Reef.

But there is hope as small pockets of beauty still manage to exist amongst the barren soundscape. The question is asked, ‘Is there time for the Reef?’ as the music begins to shift with a tentative hopefulness that we may still have a chance to preserve what is there and coexist in peace. Gradually the colours of the Reef – reflected by the orchestra, choir and audio recordings – return, as we build to a moment of pause and reflection on how we value our natural world.

Out of this moment, some of the Reef’s most beautiful sounds begin to emerge: the whale songs, which herald the start of the finale. The structure of this final movement is inspired by the way whales communicate: through call and response, in which their songs become more complicated the closer they get to each other. So the choir begins a simple motif that is taken on by the orchestra. As it develops, motifs from previous sections are re-introduced and the music builds to an intricate climax – setting off a positive spirit of hope. It is the children – the next generation – who echo this in the final bars.

Songs of the Reef takes the listener beneath the waves and into the wonderous yet fragile world of the Great Barrier Reef. Although the impact of the noise generated by humans is alarming, it is the easiest pollutant to manage – there are ways for us to reduce it and coexist with the Reef. It is all too easy to get so caught up in the constant bad news that we lose hope, and we lose impetus. We switch off. So it is my wish that Songs of the Reef gives you a sense that all is not lost – that although the urgency is real, we can change our ways to help restore the Reef and the symphony within it.

The Reef (2019)

Instrumentation: Orchestra
Commissioned and rec-orchestrated for Melbourne Youth Orchestra.

Originally commissioned  and performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as part of their Cybec 21st Century Australian Composers project.

Over the past few years and more recently in the media many scientists and
journalists have pronounced the Great Barrier Reef as either dead or dying. After 25 million years of existence, the wondrous world heritage site has suffered a continual state of degradation from coral bleaching, assaults from the crown of thorn starfish and increases in carbon levels due to the rising temperatures of global warming, causing the water to become acidic and thus harmful to the life forms that reside in the Great Barrier Reef.
As The Reef is my musical expression of the frustration and sadness I feel upon hearing constant news of the demise of the Great Barrier Reef, I hope to project a sense of urgency on the situation the reef faces by telling the story of what has been, what is, and what could be.Although the Great Barrier Reef is large, it is extremely fragile and without implementing drastic measures to save what remains, we will lose one of the most spectacular wonders of our planet.

CICADAS (2018)

Instrumentation: Wind Symphony
Commissioned and performed by the Adelaide Wind Symphony as part of their 'A Sunburnt Country' concert. December 1st 2018

Conductor: Veronica Boulton
Recording: Ray Thomas

When I was approached by the Adelaide Wind Orchestra to compose this piece with the theme ‘A Sunburnt Country’ the first thing that popped into my head was the sound of cicadas. To me the ‘Sunburnt Country’ conjures up images of my farm in upper New South Wales, where the heat is intense, the grass is brown and orange and the cicadas are deafening. Those images and sounds are what my piece, Cicadas, is inspired by.

Cicadas begins with an exploration of the sounds and textures of the cicada song. Throughout the piece we hear the cicada song build in textures and layers as each instrument of the ensemble contributes to re-create their deafening sounds. Throughout the piece, an intense, percussive climax is grows, representative of the harshness of the land during these ‘sunburnt’ periods.

There is an unexpected change, symbolising the sudden rain which breaks the intense heat and brings relief. Everything softens as smooth, lyrical melodies and harmonies can be heard layered upon each other. The is relief evident as the mugginess clears and life begins to reappear. Vibrant colours of the ensemble become evident and the harshness of previous section seems to have vanished. All throughout we can still faintly hear the cicadas singing their song, waiting for the hottest part of the day to come round again.

glaciers (2017)

Instrumentation: Orchestra
Performed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra

A glacier is a huge mass of ice that moves slowly over land. The term “glacier” comes from the French word glace which means ice. Glaciers are often called “rivers of ice.”

Since visiting Denali National Park (Alaska) in 2016 I have always wanted to compose a piece about Glaciers. I vividly remeber looking out onto the impressive Denali mountain range, all mostly shaped by glacial movement. If you looked carefully you could see two glaciers, Sunset glacier and Muldrow glacier and if you were quiet enough you could hear the ice breaking off the glaciers as the temperature rose.

In winter, Glaciers are large and intimidating, moving very slowly under the influence of gravity to carve lakes and shape mountains ranges. In summer they melt and retreat in size, forming small streams and waterfalls. In both seasons they are colourful, made up of many shades of greys, blues, whites and blacks.

Glaciers transports you back to Denali National Park, where you can imagine gazing up at these spectacular mountain ranges and glaciers, taking in the the complex colours and shades of the ice, jagged outlines against clear skies and the sheer magnitude of their size. Although there is a dramatic energy and presence, there is also a softness and subtlety to them as although they are large in size, they move very slowly over centuries, melting bit by bit, ebbing and flowing with the seasons. It is through Glaciers that I hope to share with you a special part of my Alaskan experience.

Avialae (2015)

Instrumentation: Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Percussion, Violin, Cello
Performed at Ensemble Offsprings 'Future Retro Concert' (2015) and Ensemble Offspring's 'Arc Electric' concert (2017) as part of the All About Women Festival (Sydney Opera House)

‘Avialae' translated from Latin means ‘bird wings’ and is a reference to the scientific classification of birds as ‘Clade Avialae’. The piece incorporates the bird songs of five endangered Australian species; Painted Snipe, Swift Parrot, Carnbary’s Cockatoo, Regent Honey Eater and the Ground Parrot. Currently these species are threatened by decreasing habitation, competition from other species and introduced feral species. Each birdcall is imitated and improvised by the performers and, throughout the piece, are transformed from literal interpretations to conventional musical melodies. Avialae explores a disappearing natural sound world and hopes to bring to attention our environmental situation, where if nothing is done to protect our ecosystems, these songs may permanently be silenced, only to exist in our imagination.

Ostara's Equinox (2013)

Instrumentation: Wind Symphony 

According to Norse Mythology, Ostara (also know as Eostre) was the Germanic Godess of Spring and fertility who was celebrated during the Vernal (spring) Equinox. Ostara represented rebirth in nature, equality and fertility that came with the coming of spring, heralded by the equinox. During the equinox, the hours of light becomes equal to night, symbolising a perfect equilibrium in dark and light, masculinity and femininity and inner and outer balance. Ostara’s Equinox explores the celebration of Ostara and the Spring equinox.

Auras (2013)

Instrumentation: String Quartet

Concepts on an individual’s aura can be found in many different religions and spiritual beliefs and are generally associated with notions of a spiritual field of luminous radiation that surrounds an individual, reflecting their personality traits, thoughts and feelings. Auras, composed for string quartet, sonically explore these notions through two distinct movements.