second door on the left
clarinet
quartet
One of the joys and hallmarks of creating an ensemble is the sense of artistic autonomy that is
possible. Though the risks might be perceived as greater in the process of being a ‘quartet for hire’
there is a level of musical freedom that inspires constant questioning and renewal. Clarity has
featured Australian music in almost every concert program over the past decade in a quiet, in-itfor-the-long-haul kind of way. It isn’t our raison d’être so much as an intrinsic part of who we are
– Australian musicians, living and working around Australia – so why wouldn’t the music of our
country and our time be as important to us as re-creating masterworks from days gone by? To take
the time to commission new works with the idea of creating a single program focussing on this has
been both challenging and rewarding. We have rehearsed in lounge rooms, rumpus rooms, offices,
hotel restaurants, school halls in between concerts on tour, in sweltering heat, late into the night,
and first thing in the morning to bring this program of music to life. We are grateful to artsACT
and the Australia Council for making the commissioning and recording of these works possible and
for the opportunity as performers to facilitate a lasting contribution to the repertoire.
“exuberance and virtuosity… finger-snapping good” The Weekend Australian
Take a journey of sonority and style with Australia’s unique chamber ensemble, Clarity. Leave
any pre-conceived notion of the clarinet at the door – these musicians explore every genre and
make it their own, from contemporary art music to jazz standards. Equally at home on the concert
platform or more unusual settings, Clarity has performed at every occasion from an all-night rock
concert in outback Australia, to London’s St-Martin-in-the-Fields. Acclaimed by colleagues and
critics for the quality of their musicianship, a Clarity concert is a unique experience. For more
information and concert details please visit www.clarity4.com
“ H H H H H …tonally ravishing, and best of all, there is a spontaneous palpable sense of pleasure in this music-making that
readily transports itself to the listener” Limelight, Reviews June 2006
second door on the left
Karlin Greenstreet Love
Vasco Pyjama
Vasco Pyjama is a character created by Australia cartoonist Michael Leunig. Leunig writes, ‘And
sailing over the horizon in a battered armchair came Vasco Pyjama, the brave searcher who left
all that was understood and safe to circumnavigate his own world’. This work received much of
its impetus from the cartoon ‘Vasco Pyjama in the strait of a thousand lighthouses’, found in
Introspective by Michael Leunig. – Karlin Love
Elena Kats-Chernin
Burnished Silver, Second Door on the Left, Kwong Song, and Pink Breasted Robin
All four pieces were written for Clarity in August 2006.
Burnished Silver is inspired by a film composer much loved by me, Michel Legrand. The features
of the piece are close harmonies, lightness, modest material, and a slightly nostalgic quality.
Second Door on the Left was written for my youngest son Nick, who was often present when I
composed pieces for friends and colleagues and he witnessed many dedications. One day he said
“why don’t you write a piece for me for a change?” I thought it was a valid request. So, I composed
a couple of sketches of which he chose this one to become his piece.
Kwong Song (originally for string quartet) was written for Kylie Kwong as a gesture of gratitude
for the wonderful food Kylie generously shares with her friends.
Pink-Breasted Robin in Silvery Light was written in Tasmania, after I had encountered this
tiny beautiful bird in Russell Falls in the National Park, the bird with a pink patch was looking at
me for half a minute before taking off in a flash, but it left a strong impression, especially after
finding out how rare the pink-breasted robin has become. It had a slightly theatrical look, hence
the piece has a little bit of circus and fun flavour. – Elena Kats-Chernin
Ian Blake
Starling
Don’t pay too much attention to the title – originally the music was to have been based on the idea
of the movement of a huge flock of pre-roosting birds over St Peter’s Square – a refreshing and
life-affirming experience after a day’s tour of the Vatican. But ‘Starling’ remained as a working title
as the piece took on its own personality and changed into something quite different: overlapping
drones supporting a fluid, improvisatory exploration of the main themes, leading to dance-like
sections (with foot-stomping obbligato) and quieter interludes, concluding inconclusively with
a trancey dronal ending. You’ll hear a scale with a sharp fourth and a flat seventh that pops up
around the world – Tatra Mountain fiddlers, Hindustani musicians, and film composers writing
music for wide ocean and deep space scenes are all fond of this mode. The English folk song ‘Lucy
Wan’, quoted briefly, has a similar flavour. The piece is basically in a slow 3/2 rhythm, which lends
itself to interesting subdivisions, becoming quite jig-like at times and subverted by the occasional
hiccup in 11/8 when it helped the flow, or I couldn’t make it abide by the rules... I’ve enjoyed
workshopping this piece with Clarity: as a modest clarinetist myself it’s been fun writing music for a
group of fine players and hearing how it develops! – Ian Blake
Sandra France
What Goes Around Comes Around
‘What Goes Around Comes Around’ is a set of six vignettes for Clarinet Quartet, to be
performed without pause between each movement. This composition explores the vast array
of exciting textures available to a clarinet quartet and experiments with the various moods
associated with friendship and the pain associated with the loss of friendship. Frequent metric
modulations throughout this composition provide the work with an exciting sense of rhythm,
adding elements of surprise to the work. The melodic and harmonic material in What Goes
Around Comes Around is predominantly tonal and approachable; at some moments creating
second door on the left
a sense of cheekiness and other times sombre wistfulness. Each movement is related to the
other, either focusing on a melodic phrase, a rhythmic idea or a textural idea, giving a sense
of cohesion to the whole work. The title of this piece comes from a very overused phrase,
but one that helped me through a difficult time. – Sandra France
Ruth Lee Martin
Brindabella Blues
Brindabella Blues is one of those insistent pieces that just seem to materialise without conscious
thought. In fact it was quite the opposite. I originally had other plans in my head when I sat down
to compose, but the blues theme refused to leave and insinuated itself quite thoroughly into
the music material. At the time we were in the middle of a drought - which is proving to be very
stubborn - and on looking out of my window as I composed, across the broad plain of Canberra
towards the shimmering blueness of the Brindabellas, my thoughts kept coming back to the affect
of the drought on the countryside. The blues and drought themes seemed to come together
quite naturally in this work with its pervading air of longing. Yet there is also a sense of subdued
anticipation and excitement - as if the rains are about to fall. – Ruth Lee Martin
Peter Sculthorpe
Quartet No. 10
String Quartet No 10 was commissioned in 1983 by the Kronos Quartet. In writing for the Kronos
Quartet, it seemed fitting to use source material associated with the United States. The outer
movements and the middle Interlude incorporate transformations of motives and rhythms found in
songs of the Pueblo Indians. The opening and closing Sun Songs have a very slow rate of harmonic
change, suggesting the breadth of the Australian landscape... My overriding intention in writing this
work was to fashion music of straightforward line and structure. Such a music, I believe, relates easily
to Australia. – Peter Sculthorpe
NICOLE CANHAM CLARINET / E flat CLARINET
“voluptuous timbre and immaculate technique” Limelight, August 2005
2007 artsACT Creative Arts Fellow, Nicole Canham’s diverse musical interests and
commitment to expanding the audience for classical music in Australia have seen her
work not only in the mainstream with orchestras including the Tasmanian Symphony and
Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestras, but also emerge as part of a wave of musicians
changing the perception of culture. She completed her initial studies in Australia and
augmented these with participation in numerous elite national training programs before
undertaking post graduate study with renowned French clarinetist Philippe Cuper. Nicole
has performed around Australia, including The Castlemaine State Festival, The Adelaide
Fringe Festival and the National Folk Festival, and for ABC Classic FM’s Sunday Live
program. Nicole is a founding member of Clarity with whom she has performed around
Australia and internationally, and Artistic Director of the Canberra International
Chamber Music Festival. Her discography includes recordings for the Anthology of
Australian Music, the Tall Poppies and Move Records labels.
LISA MANNING CLARINET
Lisa graduated from the Canberra School of Music in 2002 with first class honours
and completed a Masters in Philosophy (music), studying under Alan Vivian in 2005.
Lisa has successfully auditioned for prestigious national music programs, including the
2001 National Music Camp and the Australian Youth Orchestra for the 2001 season. As
soloist, she has performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Canberra Community
Orchestra (CCO). Her orchestral experience includes work with the Canberra Symphony
Orchestra, the Canberra Ballet Orchestra, Canberra School of Music Symphony
Orchestra, and the Melbourne Opera Orchestra. On a brief study tour to Europe in 2004
Lisa had lessons with Philippe Cuper, Principal of the Paris Opera Orchestra and Andrew
Marriner, Principal of the London Symphony Orchestra. More recently she travelled to
Canada, participating in the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific. Now based in
Melbourne, she is enjoying building a name for herself as both performer and teacher
whilst continuing to perform with Clarity throughout Australia.
MATTHEW O’KEEFFE CLARINET / BASS CLARINET
“You’d have sworn a string bass was on stage, such was the magic created by the detached
surly grunting of Matthew O’Keeffe’s bass clarinet” Daily Advertiser, June 2004
Matthew commenced his studies with Alan Vivian at the Australian National University School
of Music in 1994, completing his Bachelor of Music in 1999. Since completing his degree,
Matthew has specialised in bass clarinet performance and is the principal bass clarinet of the
Canberra Symphony Orchestra. Matthew has performed with the Canberra School of Music
Orchestra, the Canberra Chamber Orchestra and the Canberra Choral Society. He excels
in theatre performance and has appeared in orchestras for the opera company Stopera and
the Canberra Philharmonic Society productions Chicago, West Side Story, Les Miserables,
Hello Dolly, Sweet Charity, and the Australian premiere of Jekyll and Hyde. He is a founding
member of Clarity, an experienced chamber musician and educator, and a sought after
teacher. In 2004 Matthew joined the Band of the Royal Military College Duntroon.
SAMANTHA KELSON CLARINET / BASS CLARINET
Sam completed her undergraduate degree at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide and
her Masters in Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium. In addition to being a member
of Clarity, Sam is artistic director of the Australian chamber group the Kurrawong
Ensemble, and Ensemble Troika – a long standing group with Musica Viva In Schools NSW.
A dedicated chamber musician and a performer committed to live music culture and the
contemporary music of Australia, Sam enjoys a busy performing schedule throughout the
country. As a freelance musician she plays with such ensembles as the Adelaide Symphony
Orchestra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She has performed at many Australian
music festivals, including the Castlemaine Music Festival, the Canberra International
Chamber Music Festival and the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Her discography includes
recordings with the Tall Poppies Label and Move Records Label. She has broadcast with the
ABC Young Australia programme and is an instrumental educator of 15 years. Production details
Recorded at Move Records,
1 Linton St Ivanhoe, Vic.
Jan 19th – 23rd , 2007
Engineer: Vaughan McAlley
Producer: Haig Burnell, HaigelBagel Productions
www.adelaideclassical.com
For Sales and Distribution 03 9497 3105
Acknowledgements
Our thanks to Ian Blake, Sandra France, Elena
Kats-Chernin, Ruth Lee Martin, Karlin Love, Peter
Sculthorpe, David Sequeira, Chris Latham, Zach
Clarke, Col Burk from Swell Design, Martin,
Marilyn, Vaughan and Rhys at Move and our
Producer, Haig Burnell.
Photography, Chris Canham.
This project was supported by the ACT Government
This project has been assisted by the Australian
Government through the Australia Council, its arts
funding and advisory body.
Unauthorized copying, hiring, lending or public
performance or communication to the public prohibited.
clarinet quartet