about | 2008 recital series | listen | critic's reviews | news | home   Wendy Dixon - soprano David Miller - piano guest artists 2008 season

November 19 In the course of doing a special Grevillea plus Diana version of the Canteloube songs we have coined two new words: noboe and droboe. I'll be fascinated to know if anyone reads my little musings and can figure those two out. October 28 We've been busy programming which has involved dragging Diana into the con and much sightreading from the three of us. David and I finalised our additional songs today and there is now a programme posted. I've put heaps of links in to most composers and also three different links to Rudyard Kipling. One of our regular audience members reminded David about Charles ives, so we went explorig today and found a book of 40 early songs that Ives had not included in his self-published album of 114 songs. After contemplating using some Greman settings we decided that the Kipling songs were rather beautiful with good Ives moments, We were highly amused to see that in Ives' self- published songs his only Kipling setting only contained four words and etc with a footnote commenting that "permission to use this verse had not been obtained from Mr. Kipling at the time of going to press." [PEER INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION] Ah, the joys of the public domain. October 16 We ran the full run tonight and timed all the sections. Its taken a while to be satisfied with the running order. Any one who has checked out the programme page will have noticed the pieces shifting around. Tomorrow Peter Rankine flies into Sydney and we will have an hour with him on his five songs. Hope he likes what we are doing with them. It's always fun realising new music, and always illuminating hearing what intentions the composer has. September 24 The October recital draws ever closer. We now have all 5 songs from Peter Rankine with the delightful and somewhat wistful poetry of Michael Leunig. Rehearsals continue on a weekly basis, though we have our usual distractions. Off to the recording studio with the ever patient Peter Bell to put down the 4 Blake Songs of Margaret Sutherland and the 4 Mary Gilmore settings of Dulcie Holland. Our guest, Michael Dixon, is now a proud first time father. Us Grevilleans, having got nearer the grandparent age, acknowledge the huge distraction this must be creating. As noted earlier, rehearsals continue. If you look carefully at the programme details you may notice some piano only pieces. They're short and sweet, so no blinking or you might miss them. More soon Wendy   Grevillea Ensemble is proudly sponsored by Stephen Yarrow Design & Print