Info
Music by Philip Glass.
Published by Dunvagen Music Publishers.
Instrumentation
Premiere
Commission
Notes
I knew Mark Atkins only by his recording and was extremely pleased when he agreed to come to New York to work on integrating his didgeridoo playing with the music I composed. We spent about a week together last January, fitting his music into the composition. The idea was that this would be a starting place and in later practice and rehearsals, it would be further developed. I think we were both pleased and even a little surprised at how well the two musics came together.
I proposed very early on that we find a text and narrator to complete the work. I thought this would help in bridging whatever cultural gaps that might be presented by the organ and didgeridoo. Since the text was not available when I started, I began with the organ music – composing four separate but related compositions.
After considering text from various aboriginal writers, I asked Joy Murphy, an elder of the Wurundjeri tribe to join us as the writer of the text. Since she is also a well known speaker in her community in Melbourne, we asked her to be the narrator. She is joined by Ron Murray, a well known player and maker of didgeridoos in the Melbourne area, who accompanies her during her performance.
— Philip Glass
Scores
Related
Voices – for Didgeridoo & Organ