PREMIERE of the MONTH

A work of opposing forces, marking a young composer’s stylistic growth

BACK TO LIFE: Mahler’s ‘Resurrection’ Symphony was the apt choice for the gala reopening of Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall on 20 July. The two-year, AUD150m renovation was designed to iron out acoustic problems that had plagued the 2,679-seat venue since its opening in 1973. Huge fibreglass sound reflectors are now suspended above the stage, which has been lowered by 40cm. Simone Young conducted the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the concert, which also featured 190 members of the Sydney Philharmonic Choirs. Photo: Daniel Boud

COMPOSER Holly Harrison

WORK Slipstream for violin, viola, cello, clarinet, flute and piano

ARTIST Australia Ensemble UNSW

DATE 24 September 2022

PLACE Sir John Clancy Auditorium, University of New South Wales, Australia bit.ly/39b23ir

Holly Harrison

Australia Ensemble UNSW

HARRISON PHOTO STEVE BROADBENT. ENSEMBLE PHOTO KEITH SAUNDERS

‘I didn’t want to be too literal and think, “I’ll have a song, then a stormy section.” I wanted something more interrupted,’ Australian composer Holly Harrison says of her new work Slipstream’s commission brief: ‘a song before a storm’. ‘Maybe it’s not just a song before the storm, but a song on top, or underneath.’ Within the five-movement work, Harrison streams together song-like ideas, experimenting with techniques that she says stretched her. ‘The sea shanty-esque beginning is unlike anything I’d done before.’ Paul Stanhope, artistic chair of the Australia Ensemble UNSW, which commissioned the work, also explains: ‘Holly’s piece begins with an atmospheric texture. She then successfully adapts groove patterns with references to bluegrass and funk.’ True to her roots as a drummer, Harrison says that the groove bass acts as Slipstream’s undercurrent. As for her stylistic influences, she explains, ‘When writing for strings, it’s through bluegrass that I find my voice. I love the cool scoops and microtonality.

‘The main guts of the work are in movements one and five,’ Harrison continues. The first movement sets up the full work’s upcoming thematic material, while the fifth has a ‘more assertive momentum, in a post-rock kind of way’. Like a stream, the three centre movements are ‘each one idea, which then smoothly moves on to another’. About the commissioning ensemble, Harrison says, ‘The exciting thing about working for a group of this calibre is writing for the musicians in particular. They have such a pure sound, which suited the “song” idea.’ The work also fits into Harrison’s larger musical philosophy: ‘Any one thing can work with another if you approach it correctly. Art music co-existing with vernacular music is fascinating to me, and I hope people walk away saying, “Ah, that was interesting!”’