476 6288 SEAN O’BOYLE

RIVERSYMPHONYCONCERTO FOR DIDGERIDOO

WILLIAM BARTON didgeridooTHE QUEENSLAND ORCHESTRASEAN O’BOYLE

2

SEAN O’BOYLE b. 1963 and WILLIAM BARTON b. 1981

Concerto for Didgeridoo [18’53]1 I. Earth 5’422 II. Wind 3’023 III. Water 4’594 IV. Fire 5’10

William Barton didgeridoo

SEAN O’BOYLERiversymphony [23’53]

5 I. Storm Clouds Gather 2’236 II. Memory of the Sea 3’017 III. Riverflow to Angry Waters 4’318 IV. Dolphin, Platypus and Fish Dart in the Shallows 4’579 V. A New Purpose 1’500 VI. Memory of the Sea, Riverflow and River of Life 2’29! VII. River, Cities and Pollution 2’50@ VIII. Lament for the River and Triumphant Return to the Sea 1’52

Jane Sheldon soprano (Child of the River)Anna Fraser soprano (Mother of the River)Willoughby Symphony Choir (Philip Chu Musical Director)South Brisbane Federal Band (Edward Kennedy Musical Director)

Total Playing Time 42’58

The Queensland Orchestra

Sean O’Boyle conductor

3

54

Earth

Starting ominously with the initial theme deep in the orchestra, the music is raised to athundering climax with the didgeridoo playing a short cadenza. The orchestra returns with thegentle birth of the earth and kookaburrasgreeting the dawn of the ages. This leads to awild dance with heavy brass and percussionpunctuation. The dance dies away as the earth rests.

Wind

The movement begins with rumbles of air fromthe didgeridoo; low strings hint at the themewhilst flutes and the bass clarinet swirl. Thestrings stride at the head of the furious gale, the woodwinds scurry and shriek, and the dingoprowls at the edge of the fury. The wind risesand falls with intense wrath. The whirly-windmakes its presence felt, with the didgeridoo andbull-roarer in counterpoint. The wind dies awayand the land is again at peace.

Water

A dreamy beginning with murmuring strings,bowed vibraphone and woodwinds that ebb andflow. The horns make a statement – echoed inthe oboe and flutes which lead to an aquaticworld where water is heard trickling andplopping whilst the didgeridoo weaves theunderworld waterscape. Strings, mutedtrumpets and woodwinds shimmer in the gloomand the cellos take a poignant place towards the end, leaving the music unresolved.

Fire

The great destroyer and renewer of life flares upand down, seeming to hide then reappearingwith destructive force. Wildly unpredictable, itblazes its way across the landscape until athundering unison note dies away to reveal avirtuosic cadenza on the didgeridoo. The fire,cleansed, fades away and a solo flute plays aduet with the didgeridoo as the embers die out.

Concerto for Didgeridoo

When William Barton first visited my studio in early 2003, we spentmany hours together sketching out a concept for the concerto. Theprocess began as a discussion of the four elements: Earth, Wind, Waterand Fire. This was further developed by recording William’s musicalthoughts, both vocally and through his didgeridoo.

Each of the movements has distinctive rhythmic features, some of whichwere transcribed from William’s original musical sketches, to which Ihave composed original melodies. The most recognisable of theserhythms is in Fire.

The melodies, and fragments of melodies, that William recordedbecame the foundation of the musical structure throughout the work.

Working closely with William through the process of composing theconcerto was a complete joy.

Sean O’Boyle

August 2007

6 7

Storm clouds form over the sea, move inland tothe mountains and the clouds break, washingthe mountainside and filling the streams andgullies with life-giving water, gathering in greaterforce to eventually join the mighty river. Thebrass makes a bold fanfare stating snatches ofthe themes to come. The horns call forth thewater. The river makes her way to the coast,gathering force from the tributaries that flow in acycle of great renewal.

At first the flow is gentle, yet with a sense ofpurpose, and the water creates a multitude ofrhythms and voices. It passes beautifulcountryside; creatures of the river dive throughthe swirling depths. A peaceful time for the river,waters calm, flowing steadily to her destination.The strings take up the Riverflow theme. Thebrass makes a joyful declaration and the brassband takes over with the bass theme, theMemory of the Sea.

The Child of the River sings the Riverflow themeand is joined by the Mother of the River weavinga countermelody. They fade into the distance,and a crash of brass and percussion is theharbinger of the angry waters.

Relentless strings surge ahead with thewoodwind, low brass and trumpet punctuatingthe aggressive cascade. The angry waters flowover the waterfall and playfully make their waydown the gorge. Woodwind scurry and shiftdirection; all the while the underlying strings

move unremittingly as a new storm vents itsfury on the landscape. Thunder crashes,lightning strikes and the land trembles with fear.As suddenly as it started, the storm subsidesand a rainbow shoots across the distant hills.

The river widens through pasture land and theMother of the River wordlessly sings of the callof the dolphin, dreaming of the river yet far outto sea. A solo horn takes the theme and theriver is once more tranquil, with wildlife revellingin her bountiful gifts. A platypus hunts throughthe shallows, fish dart about and birds are ever watchful.

The brass recapitulation of the opening fanfarebrings new purpose to the river. The water ismore intense as the river is shallow, skippingacross stones and small cascades. The Riverflowtheme is stated by many instruments and theMemory of the Sea is stated in the depths ofthe orchestra.

The Child of the River sings the Riverflow themeand is countered again by the Mother of theRiver who marvels at how small the river wasand how big it is becoming. They sing of theriver of life, growing in force, ever movingtowards man and his cities and machines.

The river flows through the cites and we despairfor the pollution. The mood is angular anddisruptive, the themes intermingled withmetallic sounds. Snippets of theme converge

Riversymphony

In 1999 John Aitken, CEO of the Brisbane Riverfestival, asked me tocreate a work of music that symbolises the rivers of the world and onethat could be performed on the banks of the Brisbane River in anoutdoor celebration called Riversymphony. I wrote the work backwards,completing the final eight minutes for the 1999 Festival. In July of 2000 I completed the entire work for performance in the 2000 BrisbaneRiverfestival. Riversymphony is scored for massive forces – symphony orchestra, 30-piece brass band, symphonic chorus and two soprano soloists.

The premiere performance on 9 September 2000 featured sopranosRebecca Collins and Francesca Massingham, The QueenslandPhilharmonic Orchestra and the Queensland Conservatorium Orchestra,South Brisbane Federal Band, RAAF Central Band, The QueenslandConservatorium Choir and the Sheldon College Choir, conducted bymyself. An Indigenous element was added for the event and wasperformed by William and Delmae Barton.

Our musical journey begins out to sea where moisture is gathered into storm clouds, which in turn come to the land and rain falls in the mountains. The river of life is born and journeys to the sea. The cycle renews.

Riversymphony was commissioned by the Brisbane Riverfestival, aninitiative of the Brisbane City Council and Queensland Government inpartnership with Channel 9, and is dedicated to John Aitken – a man ofextraordinary vision.

Sean O’Boyle

August 2007

9

O’Boyle, Matthew Hindson and Philip Bracanin.Liza Lim’s work for orchestra, didgeridoo andflute, The Compass, jointly commissioned by theSydney Symphony and the Bavarian RadioOrchestra, received its world premiere at theSydney Opera House in 2006; the Munichpremiere took place in January 2007. WilliamBarton’s own compositions include Songs of theMother Country (Queensland Biennial Festival,2003), and Journey of the Rivers for stringquartet, didgeridoo and voice, performed at thePompidou Centre, Paris in 2006.

William Barton has appeared at music festivalsaround the world including the MelbourneInternational Festival of the Arts, the AustralianChamber Orchestra’s Huntington Festival,Canada’s Edmonton Festival, the Colorado MusicFestival, Estonian Music Festival, AldeburghFestival and the Wassoi World Music Festival inJapan. Recent engagements have included atour to Germany with the Queensland Ballet andan Australian tour with the Goldner StringQuartet for Musica Viva, performances with theBrooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, Reno ChamberOrchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra andGermany’s Jena Philharmonic, concerts with theSydney, Tasmanian and West AustralianSymphony Orchestras, a performance at Gallipolifor the 90th anniversary of the ANZAC landing,and an appearance in the Venice Music Biennale.

www.williambarton.com.au

Jane Sheldon

Jane Sheldon has been singing professionallysince the age of 15. After training with theSydney Children’s Choir and Gondwana Voices,she made her professional debut in 1998 with arecording and performance of George Crumb’sAncient Voices of Children with Halcyon and theSydney Alpha Ensemble. That same year shewas a guest of the Tapiola Choir, with whom shetoured Finland. In 2000, Jane Sheldon was thetreble soloist in the world premiere performanceof Nigel Butterley’s Lowin Award-winning Spellof Creation at the Sydney Opera House.

Since then, she has maintained an activeinvolvement in contemporary music. She hasperformed and recorded with percussionensemble Synergy, appearing in performances ofSteve Reich’s Drumming in Brisbane and Sydney.Her debut solo recording Song of the Angel,released by ABC Classics in 2002, features themusic of a range of contemporary composersincluding Nyman, Tavener and MacMillan. Shehas appeared as a soloist on a number of otherABC releases including the ARIA Award-nominated recording of Elena Kats-Chernin’sWild Swans, Swooning, Allegri Miserere, Prayerfor Peace, The Classic 100 and Teddy TahuRhodes’ ARIA Award-winning album The Voice.Jane Sheldon has also worked on a number ofscores for theatre, film and television, includingthe Golden Globe-nominated soundtrack for thetelemovie On the Beach.

8

into a unison motif and the river broadens to thememory of the sea so tantalisingly near.

The mood moves forward to a fanfare of theRiverflow theme heralded by brass and choir. Theriver is almost joined to the sea and a solotrumpet plays a lament over the Memory of theSea. The river surges forward triumphantly torejoin the waters whence its life began.

Sean O’Boyle

William Barton

William Barton is considered one of Australia’sleading didgeridoo players and composers and isa powerful advocate for the wider perception ofhis cultural traditions.

Born in Mount Isa in north-western Queensland,he was taught the instrument at an early age byhis uncle, an elder of the Waanyi, Lardil andKalkadunga tribes of western Queensland. In1998, at 17 years of age, William Barton playedhis first classical concert with the QueenslandSymphony Orchestra.

His association, since 2001, with leadingAustralian composer Peter Sculthorpe has led tothe inclusion of didgeridoo parts in several ofSculthorpe’s orchestral works. His Requiem(2004) for orchestra, chorus and didgeridoo,premiered by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestraand also performed at the UK’s Lichfield Festivalwith the City of Birmingham SymphonyOrchestra, was composed with William Barton inmind. Five earlier works (Songs of Sea and Sky,Earth Cry, Mangrove, Kakadu, and From Ubirr),re-arranged to include didgeridoo parts, wererecorded by William Barton and The QueenslandOrchestra for ABC Classics; the CD wasnominated for Best Classical Album in the 2004 ARIA Awards. Requiem was released onABC Classics in 2006.

Other Australian composers with whom WilliamBarton has worked include Ross Edwards, Sean

11

Recent solo engagements have includedMozart’s Laudate Dominum and CoronationMass with the Australian BrandenburgOrchestra, the role of Young Marguerite in theSydney Symphony Orchestra’s performances ofBerlioz’s The Damnation of Faust, and twoconcerts in Bundanon’s Flametree Festival. Sherecently made her first foray into cabaret,performing at Sydney’s Bar Me to sell-outcrowds with soprano Anna Fraser and pianistSally Whitwell in Déguster: A Cabaret of Food,Wine and Gluttony.

As an ensemble singer, Jane Sheldon workswith the professional choral ensembleCantillation, with whom she also appears inPinchgut Opera’s productions. She has alsoperformed with ACO Voices and appearsregularly with the Australian Brandenburg Choir.

Jane Sheldon has recently been awarded aresidency at the Bundanon Artists Centre, and inSeptember 2007 takes up a scholarship to studyat the Royal Northern College of Music inManchester, UK.

Anna Fraser

Born in Sydney, Anna Fraser holds a Bachelor ofMusic in Vocal Performance from the SydneyConservatorium of Music and completed aGraduate Diploma in Vocal Performance at NewEngland Conservatory in Boston in 2002. Amongthe awards she has received are a Queen’s Trust

Grant for Young Australians, a CentenaryScholarship from the Foundation for YoungAustralians, and an Australian ElizabethanTheatre Trust Scholarship, which facilitated herstudy in the United States. During her studies inBoston, she performed the roles of Musetta (Labohème), Elektra (Idomeneo), Marie (TheDaughter of the Regiment), Eurydice (Orfée auxEnfers) and the title role in Alcina in stagedopera scenes. She also sang with theConservatory’s Contemporary Ensembleincluding a performance of Berio’s Sequenza III.

In 2002, Anna Fraser attended the Britten-PearsYoung Artist Program in the United Kingdom andwas a soloist in Handel’s Dixit Dominus and themasque Acis and Galatea at the AldeburghFestival. Performance highlights in Sydney haveincluded roles in Pinchgut Opera’s productions ofMonteverdi’s L’Orfeo (Speranza) and Rameau’sDardanus (Une Phrygienne), the role of Jane inthe world premiere performance of BenLoomes’ opera The Boat, the role of Beatrice inan Australian operatic adaptation of Goldoni’sVenetian Twins and a solo recital broadcast onABC Classic FM. With Baroque vocal ensembleThe Tall Poppeas, Anna Fraser performed the roleof Trampolina in the uniquely devised productionof Troppo Amore (2004).

Anna Fraser performs extensively with Sydney’sprofessional vocal ensemble Cantillation andjoins Pinchgut Opera in their annual productions

10

at City Recital Hall Angel Place. She frequentlypresents Baroque recitals with The Tall Poppeas;in May 2006 she appeared with the ensemble inPerth, presenting their program Too Hot toHandel?, which also features in the 2007Government House Concert Series. In 2006 sheappeared as a soloist with Sydney PhilharmoniaChoirs in Pomp and Madness, a musicalrecreation of the coronation of George II; in2007 she works with the company again inPurcell’s Dido and Aeneas and also performs asa guest artist with The Song Company.

Sean O’Boyle

Australian composer and conductor SeanO’Boyle has conducted recordings and concertswith many leading Australian and internationalorchestras, including the Melbourne, Adelaide,West Australian and Tasmanian SymphonyOrchestras, The Queensland Orchestra, BBCConcert Orchestra, Dortmund Konzert, LexingtonPhilharmonic, Auckland Philharmonia andOrchestra Victoria. His compositions have beenperformed by all the major Australian orchestrasand by North American orchestras including theDallas and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras andthe Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

In 2002, he was featured exclusively at theCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting(CHOGM) where his compositions wereperformed live for Queen Elizabeth II. Hecomposed the ABC’s Olympic theme, used

during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games andalso performed at the 2002 CommonwealthGames in Manchester and the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

He has written and produced music for morethan 100 CDs recorded in collaboration with theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation, including AChristmas Gift (Yvonne Kenny and the AdelaideSymphony Orchestra), Perfect Strangers (JudiConnelli, Suzanne Johnston and the TasmanianSymphony Orchestra), Kate Ceberano Live (WestAustralian Symphony Orchestra), EmbraceableYou (Jane Rutter and the Adelaide SymphonyOrchestra), Dreams are Forever (Riley Lee andthe Queensland Symphony Orchestra), Soliloquy(Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra) and anextensive range of children’s CDs includingGeorge Meets the Orchestra, featuring PlaySchool favourite George Spartels and theQueensland Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphonyof Lullabies with the Tasmanian SymphonyOrchestra and most recently Hush Little Baby, allnominated for ARIA Awards. He has twicereceived the ABC Golden Manuscript Award forhis work as a composer.

Sean O’Boyle has a keen interest in the music ofIndigenous Australians and in 2000 this took himto the Gulf of Carpenteria to produce The GulfSong, a collaborative performance piece withlocal children from the Gkuthaarn, Kukatj, Lardil,Kaiadilt, Mingginda, Gangalidda, Garrawa andWaanyi people.

Choir has accompanied the Melbourne-basedAustralian Pops Orchestra in popularperformances at the Sydney Opera House; thesehave included evenings of Best of British, ViennaCity of My Dreams and Not the New Year’s Eve.The Choir has also contributed to events asdiverse as Songs of Praise, the opening of theSydney Olympics and an international rugby test.

The Choir has been privileged to work withmany eminent conductors such as WilfredLehmann, John Hopkins, Richard Gill, RolandPeelman, Tom Woods and Nicholas Milton.Among the numerous celebrated soloists whohave performed with the Choir are DavidHamilton, Leanne Kenneally, Jane Edwards,Anson Austin, Catherine Carby, Michael Lewis,Amelia Farrugia, José Carbó and Marina Prior.

The first Musical Director and founder of theWilloughby Symphony Choir was Albert Keats.Noteworthy among the many talented MusicalDirectors who have followed are William Moxey,who held the position from 1989 to 2006, andJohn Grundy. Current Musical Director Philip Chutook up his appointment in 2007.

The Choir is fortunate in being sponsored byWilloughby City Council.

13

Recent compositions include The Song Bird, anopera/musical theatre work for schoolscommissioned by Opera Queensland; Aladdinfor the Queensland Ballet; original tunes for hisjazz group Blackwood; and music for the ABC TVdocumentary series New Eden.

Sean O’Boyle is a proud Patron of the AustralianChildren’s Music Foundation.

www.seanoboyle.com.au

The Queensland Orchestra

The Queensland Orchestra combines classicalbrilliance with contemporary charm. No strangerto performing alongside international and high-profile national artists, the Orchestra hasrecently accompanied artists including HarryConnick Jnr, k.d. lang, Dionne Warwick, AndreaBocelli, Luciano Pavarotti, Anthony Warlow andgeorge. The Queensland Orchestra also regularlyattracts the talents of world-renownedconductors and musicians.

Engaging with audiences of all musical tastesand interests, The Queensland Orchestra iscommitted to excellence, versatility and variety.

The Orchestra’s vision is to touch the hearts andminds of all Queenslanders through music. Thisvision is achieved through an eclectic andentertaining program of more than 70 concertsannually – from great orchestral classics, newcommissions and the more intimate Baroquethrough to celebration Proms concerts andcinema favourites.

As part of the Orchestra’s commitment to beaccessible to all Queenslanders, the Orchestratours both northern and regional Queensland.

The Orchestra is also regularly involved in thestate’s most prestigious arts and music festivalsand every year plays for seasons presented bythe Australian Ballet, Opera Queensland andQueensland Ballet.

The Orchestra has received significantrecognition as a recording artist and in 2004 wasnominated for an ARIA Award for Best ClassicalAlbum. Its extensive education program involvesperformances presented for young people of allages, from pre-schoolers through to secondaryschool music extension students, and plays toapproximately 30,000 children annually.

Willoughby Symphony Choir

Philip Chu Musical Director

Willoughby Symphony Choir is a vibrantcommunity choir with over 100 members fromall walks of life and from many areas of Sydney;it has been providing beautiful music to thecommunity since 1965. The repertoire of theChoir is comprised mainly of large classicalworks such as Brahms’ German Requiem,Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Bach’s Mass in B Minor,the Berlioz and Verdi Requiems, Handel’sMessiah and Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius (ofwhich a CD was produced). The Choir also gavethe Australian premiere of Benjamin Britten’sThe Company of Heaven. For many years, the

12

Sopranos

Margaret BeagleMargaret CantShirley CorbettHelen CormierMargaret CoulterDiane CunninghamCheryl CuttingLinda FoulshamMarcelle GoslinLorraine HensbyBev HookKym JinTisha KelemenBetsy McKayElaine NgMargaret OrchardKrythia ReidMargaret RobertsonMarion SandersTricia SmithElizabeth StewartHelen Wakelin-King

Altos

Jane AndersonPam BrocklesbyGwen FowlerJean GriersonStephanie HutchisonAida JenkinsKatrina JohnsonJan Kneeshaw

Joy LalchereLydia LinkCatherine PerkinsSue SchmidtRaewyn SevierJulia StarlingJo TaylorElizabeth TothAnn VavasourRuth West

Tenors

Darrall CuttingBertie GlassLloyd KlauGraham LongTerry McKayMichael Morton-EvansLee Owens

Basses

James AltmanPeter CunninghamMichael GoodingPeter HoneyAnthony ImmergluckSpencer NaithMichael SucklingNorman TaylorHilton Vickers

Executive Producers Robert Patterson, Lyle ChanRecording Producers Sean O’Boyle, Geoff McGahanRecording Engineers Geoff McGahan, Gary Yule(Brisbane), Daniel Brown (Sydney)Mixing and Mastering Geoff McGahan (GeoffMcGahan Audio Production)Editorial and Production Manager Hilary ShrubbPublications Editor Natalie SheaBooklet Design Imagecorp Pty LtdCover Photo Satellite image of Brisbane. SciencePhoto Library/Photolibrary.com

For The Queensland Orchestra

Chairman Carolyn J. Barker AMManaging Director Michael P. SmithDirector – Artistic Planning Tom WoodsDirector – Operations Charlotte Maddrenwww.thequeenslandorchestra.com.au

Brisbane Riverfestivalwww.riverfestival.com.au

Recorded 4 and 5 February 2003 at The QueenslandOrchestra Studios, Ferry Rd and 27 June 2007 atFarmhouse, Brisbane 1-4, and 26-28 March 2002at The Queensland Orchestra Studios, Ferry Rd,Brisbane and 20 May 2007 at Trackdown ScoringStage, Sydney 5-@.

Sean O’Boyle thanks Leona, Molly, Nancy Boy, MPhillip, Eloise, RVW, MCV, Vivienne, Ghengis, LibbyB, Sucram, Tommy E, Kate C, James M, TimO, John A, 47 Portly, Bill F, IMT, KMT and all the littlepeople who inspire him.

ABC Classics thanks James Ezra, Jose Gallegos andSue Taylor (Trackdown Scoring Stage), Craig Beckett(Pro-Tools operator, Sydney), Alison Johnston,Alexandra Alewood and Melissa Kennedy.

� 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. � 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Distributed inAustralia and New Zealand by Universal Music Group, underexclusive licence. Made in Australia. All rights of the owner ofcopyright reserved. Any copying, renting, lending, diffusion,public performance or broadcast of this record without theauthority of the copyright owner is prohibited.

15

South Brisbane Federal Band

South Brisbane Federal Band is one ofAustralia’s premier A Grade brass bands. Sinceits inception in 1912, the band has been anintegral part of the Brisbane community,performing in Australia Day and ANZAC Daymarches and monthly park concerts as well as atprivate functions.

The ‘Feds’, as the band is affectionately known,also compete regularly at regional, state,national and New Zealand championships, twiceachieving the Australian Marching Champion titlesince 2000. A highlight of 2002 was acceptingan invitation to perform in Hong Kong’s ChineseNew Year Parade, in front of a crowd of 600,000.Other recent credits include first place in two2003 Individual Stage events.

Current conductor Trevor Bremner is himself anaccomplished and internationally decoratedcornet player who brings a wealth of knowledgeand experience to the band, as well as a greatpassion for the banding movement.

14