REVIEWEnsemble Offspring workshopIt was a rainy Saturday afternoon, when twenty of Armidale’s<strong>you</strong>ng musicians met with the vibrant members of EnsembleOffspring – Damien Ricketson, Claire Edwardes, Jason Noble,Bree van Reyk and James Cuddeford. It was an afternoon ofmusical exploration – playing and listening <strong>to</strong> the Ensembleperform snippets from avant garde works by Damien Ricketsonhimself as well as John Cage and John Zorn.For those of us who were new <strong>to</strong> this music, Ensembleoffspring opened our minds <strong>to</strong> the exciting possibilities insound and showed us that almost anything can be an instrument!We certainly didn’t expect <strong>to</strong> hear bouncy balls orcymbals dropped on the floor as music!Each of the members of the ensemble is also a talentedclassical performer, and they helped us <strong>to</strong> see how two suchvaried genres of music can influence and inform each other.We were particularly impressed <strong>to</strong> hear that Bree van Reykcan often be found doing rock gigs with her band! It was aprivilege <strong>to</strong> work with such accomplished and experiencedmusicians, and each of us jumped at the chance <strong>to</strong> pick theirbrains – showing them our own compositions and askingtheir opinions on anything and everything.Jason Noble with Emily Watson and Ben Sindel.There’s no doubt about it – we were in unfamiliar musicalterri<strong>to</strong>ry but who better <strong>to</strong> guide us through these uncharteredwaters than the brilliant Ensemble Offspring.Emily Watson & Olivia Pain(L-R): James Cuddeford, Claire Edwardes and Bree van Reyk perform for the students.8 NECOM NEWS JULY 2009
CONCERTEnsemble Offspring ConcertEnsemble Offspring’s concert of ‘new’ music proved a tripdown memory lane for me. Featuring works by (or inspiredby) American Minimalist and Experimentalist composers(Reich, Glass, Cage), the program reminded me of Melbourne’snew music scene of the early 1990s… which wasitself nostalgic for <strong>New</strong> York’s new music scene of the 1960sand 70s.However, the central message of this music (“so, are <strong>you</strong>really listening?”) is perhaps even more pertinent now than itwas 40 years ago. Every generation has <strong>to</strong> learn <strong>to</strong> pay attention,but we live in a cacophonous age; and in an age that’slearning <strong>to</strong>o slowly not <strong>to</strong> take what is around us for granted.This music reminds us <strong>to</strong> appreciate the subtle beauty of theeveryday.For me, the program’s highlight was Hockey (1978) by JohnZorn. Ricketson, Edwardes and van Reyk performed this onviolin (lots of ‘bad’ bowing) plus an array of children’s <strong>to</strong>ysand percussion. Ricketson described Zorn’s style as “car<strong>to</strong>onmusic”, and the piece shone with playful humour. A lot of Experimentalistmusic looks (and sounds) like child’s play: howhard can it be <strong>to</strong> make silly scratchy noises at random times? Ican tell <strong>you</strong> that it seems easy… until <strong>you</strong> try it <strong>you</strong>rself!As with any musical style, it’s the practised control of one’sinstrument (even if that instrument is a child’s <strong>to</strong>y), coupledwith a cultivated aesthetic sensitivity and a fine sense of ensemble,that make a performance fresh and communicative.Ensemble Offspring unders<strong>to</strong>od these challenges and metthem with aplomb and wit.In any case, the program’s ‘Complexist’ solo works amplydemonstrated the virtuosic capabilities of Offspring’s members.Clarinettist Jason Noble performed Elliott Carter’s Gra(“play”) with exceptional dynamic control and beauty of <strong>to</strong>ne.Similarly, Cuddeford’s performance of Mikka by Xenakis, awork that explores glissando <strong>to</strong> an extreme, showed Cuddeford’sabsolute command of his instrument.The Minimalist pieces (Reich’s Clapping Music and Musicin Fifths by Glass) now seem more like museum pieces than‘new’: early works that hold interest more because of howthese composers developed the same ideas in later compositionsthan for their own merits. It’s ironic that these iconoclasticcomposers are now the mainstays of a tradition, but fittingthat their works still challenge us <strong>to</strong> question and dare.Nick Negerevich and friends: NECOM Chamber SeriesOn May 3, Armidale’s flautists came out in force! Nick Negerevichfeatured in this year’s first NECOM Chamber MusicSeries concert, The Flute in Context, and encouraged hisflute-playing colleagues <strong>to</strong> join him. The program exhibitedthe stylistic versatility of the flute, and included classicalsonatas and jazzy trios, South American tangos and Irishjigs.Central <strong>to</strong> the program were two Trios for flute, cello andpiano by Haydn and Weber, performed by Nick with EleanorStreatfeild (cello) and myself (piano). These substantial workswere balanced by a short Fanfare for flute and clarinet byJohn Rutter (performed with clarinettist Ben Sindel), andPiazzolla’s seductive His<strong>to</strong>ire du Tango (performed with SteveThorneycroft, guitarist and co-artistic direc<strong>to</strong>r of the Series).A highlight of the program (certainly for me as pianist) wasPoulenc’s Sonata for flute and piano. This wonderful sonata isone of the mainstays of the flute reper<strong>to</strong>ire, and it was a treatfor me <strong>to</strong> rehearse and perform it with Nick.The program also included Black Orpheus by Bonfa, performedby Nick with Steve (guitar) and Sarah Chris<strong>to</strong>pher(double bass). Nick then <strong>to</strong>ok up the al<strong>to</strong> flute for two songsby André Previn, performed with Leanne Roobol (soprano)and myself.Perhaps the pièce (or pieces) de résistance were the worksfor flute choir: a Trio for three flutes by Kummer (performedAll the performers made for a crowded stage!by Nick with Wendy Champion and Gerard Larkins); and anexuberant arrangement by Kurt Walther of melodies fromBizet’s Carmen Suite (performed with Wendy Champion,Sharon Davidge, Geoff Derrin, Gerard Larkins, Jo Scott, KrystalSpreadborough and Rowena Tall). The concert ended with allthe performers back on stage (plus Celtic harpist Judy Hinch)for an encore of Irish jigs.The NECOM Chamber Series was founded <strong>to</strong> encourage Educa<strong>to</strong>rMembers <strong>to</strong> get <strong>to</strong>gether and perform chamber musicwithout having <strong>to</strong> worry about the backstage organizationor publicity <strong>to</strong> attract an audience… and <strong>to</strong> encourage ourstudents <strong>to</strong> hear more concerts. A warm <strong>thank</strong><strong>you</strong> <strong>to</strong> Nick forselecting this program. The proceeds of the concert were donated<strong>to</strong> NECOM, and the money helped <strong>to</strong> buy a sopraninosax for NECOM’s new saxophone ensemble. Bravissimo!Sheila GuymerNECOM NEWS JULY 2009 9
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