..into the blue stretch of light..
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“..into the blue stretch of light..” is inspired by the life cycle of the Gang Gang and other black cockatoos. When researching information for this piece, I happened upon a remarkable piece of footage taken by citizen scientists from the Canberra Ornithologists Group. The footage shows a juvenile male Gang Gang taking his first flight. I have since learned that this is (currently), one of only two Gang Gang fledging’s caught on camera. From here, my thoughts turned to nurturing, nesting and the enduring love and support offered by parents to their young ones.
The piece commences with small and still moments and develops to reflect the growth of the juvenile from their first flight into adulthood. A chance encounter renewed the Judith Wright poem “Black Cockatoos” to me and this flourished the ending of the work into a rousing soundscape.
INSTRUMENTATION: Please see perusal score above.
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It is hoped the piece captures the wild nature of Australian cockatoos, their boldness, dignity and courage whilst celebrating the life of Jim and Nell Stenning and parents everywhere who encourage their children to fly.
Commissioned by the Stenning family, premiered by Marist College, ACT, Australia.