THE CALL OF THE FOUR WINDS: AN AUSTRALIAN DIARY
FIRST READ ABOUT THE “Call of the Four I Winds,” Australia’s Fifth National Re- corder Festival, in an article by Nick Horn, “Recorders in Borderland: The Recorder and World Music in Australia,” posted on Nicholas Lander’s Recorder Home Page,
March 2000 7 tani, and Rodney Waterman, all of whom I CALL OF THE FOUR WINDS FESTIVAL already knew. We went into town for lunch, where I was introduced to Bernard holistic music (including overtone Friday, January 14 Wells, a New Zealand recorder player and singing), acoustics, Renaissance Court As I was about to get on the plane from guitarist, and to Linsey Pollack and dancing, music arrangement, music edit- Sydney to Armidale, N.S.W., where the Matthew Armstrong, both of whom make ing, recorder orchestra, masterclasses, Festival was taking place, someone tapped and invent instruments as well as perform. small chamber groups, dance band, Latin me on the shoulder. It was Aldo Abreu! We In the evening, New Zealand recorder American music, massed whistle, apparently stayed over in the same hotel builder Alec Loretto made a cheerful en- shakuhachi small groups, secrets of without knowing it. On the plane, we trance. After a briefing for the tutors, I met polyrhythm, unconventional orchestra catch up on each other’s lives. Aldo, the Natasha Anderson (student of Walter van (including inventing instruments!), per- proud father, shows me photos of his beau- Hauwe), Ulrike Volkhardt (student of Fer- forming with tape/CD/DAT/multi-channel tiful daughter Marisol. We discuss the joys dinand Conrad, one of my heroes when I systems, collective improvisation from of having children and being a parent. We was a student), Greg Dikmans (whose CD graphic notation, microtonality and pitch then get to talking about music, in particu- Breath of Creation [with Anne Norman] is a bending, historical sound documents, the lar about the Bach partita that Aldo won remarkable blend of Western and Oriental improvisatory art of the giullari, the “In the Bruges competition with in 1984, music alternately played on recorder, Nomines” of Elizabethan England, pop/- which I have to perform for the first time in Baroque flute, and shakuhachi), Ruth crossover ensemble, shakuhachi making, Berlin in a few months. Wilkinson (recorder and viola da gamba bossa nova, drums of the Middle East, In- After a relatively short time we arrived teacher at the University of Melbourne—I donesian gamelan music, harmonic in Armidale and were driven to the New had met her husband John Stinson, an ex- singing, and “Finding Amadeus,” a brief England Girl’s School, where the work- pert on 14th-century Italian music, when introduction to the history of music. shop was to take place and where we were he was at the Villa I Tatti in Florence), Stu- What follows are excerpts from a diary housed. I finally met Zana and Caroline, art Ransom (shakuhachi), Charles Garth I kept while in Australia. the organizers of the Festival. Zana was (an early dance specialist who works often very pregnant! She told us that the baby with John Tyson), Ros Bandt (who de- was due on Wednesday, the day off! (The scribes herself as a composer who does baby was born one day later.) Caroline sound sculptures), and others. studied viola da gamba and recorder with Ruth Wilkinson at the University of Mel- Saturday, January 15 bourne and earned an M.F.A. degree study- Breakfast: We all had a laugh when Alec ing early music instrumental collections Loretto jokingly mentioned how the around the world. Robyn Mellor, artistic Moeck ceramic blocks would dissolve after director of the Canberra-based musical or- being played by “boozy” recorder players. ganization Gaudeamus, was already there, Aldo replied, “That’s what we call ‘playing as were John Tyson, his wife Miyuki Tsuru- under the influence’.” The discussion continued about breath At left, Caroline Downer (left) and pressure and shading tricks for dynamics. Zana Clarke with David Bellugi. Below, During conversation, the name of Frans Ben Thorn, center, welcomes Brüggen comes up. Alec recalled a recent John Tyson, left, and Aldo Abreu. visit to his house in Tuscany, the interest- ing topics they covered, and the commit- ment of Frans to the orchestras he regular- ly conducts. Morning tea: I bought John Martin’s The Acoustics of the Recorder and John Mansfield Thomson’s The Cambridge Com- panion to the Recorder. French recorder builder Philippe Bolton arrives. Afternoon: I bought the Zen-On edition of Fred Morgan’s drawing of Frans Brüggen’s recorders. The drawings them- selves are works of art! I attended the com- petition semifinals and managed to hear three people play: Kara Ciezki, Amy Power, and Alexandra Williams. I found all three players highly original, each one very dif- ferent and individual in terms of style and choice of ornamentation. I’m impressed when I find out that they are all three stu- dents of the same teacher, Ruth Wilkinson. Evening: The Festival began with a con-
8 American Recorder cert by Aldo accompanied by harpsi- chordist Rosalind Halton in a program of Genevieve Lacey Latin-American based music, plus Bach. Genevieve Lacey was born in New Guinea in 1972. In 1980 she Aldo, despite having just arrived two days moved to Australia. After studying with Ruth Wilkinson at earlier, showed impeccable technique and Melbourne University—where she graduated in January 1995 played some of his very interesting with majors in recorder, oboe, and English literature—she went to arrangements of Zipoli, Cabanilles, and Basel, where she studied with Michel Piguet. Starting in 1996, Correa de Arauxo. We all held our breath she studied with Dan Laurin in Denmark for two years. Shortly as Aldo played the Bach Partita...perfectly. after returning to Australia, she put together a 25-concert tour of Australia with a Our ears perk up when Aldo (purposeful- Danish percussionist. Halfway through her tour, she got a call from the director of ly) took an early repeat in the second half the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, who said that a soloist had taken ill and of the last movement by eliminating some asked if she would play three major concertos in three weeks’ time (Vivaldi’s C measures the first time through in order to major and C minor and the Sammartini). As a result of her success, the ABC create a coda out of the last few measures. Classics label offered her two recordings, one with Linda Kent (Baroque Piracy) and He also gave us a beautiful rendition of one with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. For this disc, rather than doing the Corelli’s “La Follia,” played with a unity of usual catalog of Vivaldi concertos, she constructed a Vivaldi opera he never wrote, thought, as if it were one, long, extended interspersed with recitatives, arias, and tempests. For Decca, she has also recorded movement. a CD of sacred Vivaldi music with countertenor Andreas Sholl and the Australian After the concert, Aldo and I joked Brandenburg Orchestra. about how sometimes musicians need to bend the rules when choosing repertoire. Aldo had included “La Follia” as Latin mu- First half began with Zana’s group of young Monday, January 17 sic because of its title (La Folie d’Espagne); musicians, “Batalla Famossa,” who per- Early morning, I found myself closed at a house concert of mostly Italian music formed two modern pieces with great gus- out of the music building where I was to on Friday, I would be leading off with mu- to, one co-authored by Zana Clarke and teach, so I started walking back to my sic by Diego Ortiz—because his treatise Benjamin Thorn and the other by Ben. room. I was captivated by a very unusual was published in Rome! Then a very young recorder quartet played sound that I heard coming from the sci- the Vaughan Williams Suite, followed by a ence building. At first I thought that it Sunday, January 16 sextet that performed pieces by James must be a recording—maybe a CD of First day of teaching. My morning Carey and Andrew Challinger (both of Burmese flute music. It turned out to be a “stream” was an advanced group of adults. whom I had met in Edinburgh just a year young recorder player named Genevieve At one point, we discussed the merits of Al- ago). Lacey who was practicing a piece from the do’s concert. I showed them how one can The first half ended with the University 15th-century Faenza codex for a concert play the high C'''' at the end of the first of Melbourne Recorder Trio, composed of that evening! Genevieve is on her way to be- movement of the Bach Partita (in the C mi- the three Ruth Wilkinson students I had coming an international star. Count on hearing nor transposition that Aldo played) by fin- heard in the semifinals of the competition more of this very interesting and talented gering a C''' with the left hand and cover- the day before. They played the Hindemith young musician soon! (see box). ing the fipple with the right hand. Tr i o admirably. The real revelation for me At the afternoon master class, I worked Morning tea: I tried Philippe Bolton’s was the music of Gareth Farr that ended with Alexandra Williams, who played one electro-acoustic recorder that I had heard the first half. One movement had a mini- of the Bach cello suites magnificently. I so much about. I liked it so much that I de- malist accompaniment with a haunting In- gave her a few technical and musical point- cided to incorporate it into my concert on donesian melody on top. I later asked Alec ers, but more than anything, lots of en- Thursday. Loretto and Bernard Wells about Gareth couragement. In the afternoon, I was pleased to see Farr, and they told me that Farr is in great This evening’s concert began with a that my elective on Eastern European mu- demand at the moment as a composer in program of Medieval music performed by sic went over well, because this was the New Zealand. Ruth Wilkinson and Genevieve Lacey and first time I had attempted to do this in a The second half of the concert was de- narrated by Ros Bandt, all very tastefully workshop. First we played the melodies, voted to New Zealand (there are 63 partic- and imaginatively presented. The second and then we improvised accompaniments ipants from New Zealand at the Festival). half was dedicated to Renaissance dances. to several of the Rumanian and Jewish By this time, however, I could no longer John Tyson and Miyuki Tsurutani provided dances I brought. keep my eyes open. It began with a tradi- the music with dancers Charles Garth and Master class: I was presented to two tional Ma-ori welcome sung by an extraor- Fiona Garlick. They gave a performance young New Zealanders, Cavin and Saman- dinarily talented young woman, Ka-runa- that was a huge success. The audience tha, but I couldn’t pronounce their names Thurlow; Rodney later tells me this was loved it, lots of laughter, especially when properly: I had to ask Samantha a few one of the most touching moments in the Charles did his “three-legged” dance. John times to tell me her name. She said some- Festival. Luckily, I was able to hear her sing played florid diminutions with amazing thing that sounded like ”Smnth’” to me. later in the Festival. Neville Forsythe then ease and an enticing blue-grass swing. He Finally it dawned on me: “Oh, Samaaan- directed the Christchurch Youth Recorder also did some very impressive pipe and ta- tha,” I said with a very broad American ac- Ensemble in a series of compositions that bor playing. I played the bass part for three cent. I don’t think I ever felt more Ameri- ended with a version of the jazz standard of the dances. On the first one I used, for can than at that moment! “A String of Pearls” that Paul Leenhouts the first time ever, a Paetzold sub-contra- Evening concert by different groups: had arranged for them. bass lent to me by Natasha. After the con-
March 2000 9 bor while reciting Rudyard Kipling and The CALL OF THE FOUR WINDS FESTIVAL Voice of the Crocodile, which I had first heard played by Pete Rose. cert, one person, referring to the populari- teaching at an international festival and an In the late afternoon, I was picked up by ty of the evening, said to me, “What is it incredibly talented young player plays a Keith Power, for many years the only pedi- about Americans?” very difficult piece that she doesn’t know atrician in Armidale and an accomplished Late at night in the common room of very well and then looks at her for words of pianist and harpsichordist (his daughter the dorm, we relaxed and were entertained wisdom, she’ll know how I felt! Later in the Amy is studying at Melbourne University with popular music from South and North week she brought me Hindemith’s Tr i o for with Ruth Wilkinson). With Keith, I was to America and Italy played by Rodney, another lesson, and I was very happy to perform a concert at his house for the Ital- Bernard, Aldo, and the Diaz family—Justo have something to teach her! ian department of the New England Uni- (Argentinian), Olympia (Greek), and their The first half of the evening concert was versity in Armidale. In the evening, I had talented daughter Olive (all three are mem- organized by Rodney; he put together mu- dinner with most of the other tutors and bers of the South American music group sic by Egberto Gismonti, Pete Rose, Steve shared a toast to honor the birthday of Ul- Papalote). The Diaz family played cha- Tapper, and himself that incorporated an rike. I ate grilled crocodile for the first (and rango, guitar, percussion, panpipes, and unusual combination of instruments: re- probably only) time. It tasted surprisingly sang. corders, panpipes, quenas, charango, gui- like...chicken, not at all rubbery as I would tar, electric bass, piano, Oriental and have expected. (Maybe they didn’t serve Tuesday, January 18 African percussion, and a clarinet/sax-like me crocodile at all!) At the afternoon masterclass, Kara instrument called the saxillo made and Ciezki played Big Baboon, by Paul Leen- played by Linsey Pollak. John and Miyuki Thursday, January 20 houts, with conviction, communicative- gave a fantastic performance of a new piece by Morning: a new “stream” group con- ness, and ease, and made me see wonder- Pete Rose called Pendulum, with Miyuki play- sisting of eight young adults, six of whom ful images. She was to win the competition ing the pendulum part on a bass recorder and were students of Zana’s and performers in a few days later with this piece. She played John playing Pete’s be-bop inspired music as if the group Batalla Famossa that she directs. the piece so well that besides compliment- he had invented it on the spot. Rodney dedi- They were all extremely bright and talent- ing her, I had no idea what to say! I thought cated one of his own compositions to Zana ed, and it was quite a challenge for me to she was a bit upset, so after the class, I told Clarke and to Racheal Cogan, who, he ex- keep their young flexible minds sufficient- her that in 20 years’ time, when she’s plained, have transformed the use of the ly engaged. They could sight-read ab- Ganassi recorder—Zana through her work solutely anything, so I kept putting new with her group Nardoo in which she pre- music in front of them. They had the best National Recorder sents “an intriguing blend of Turkish, of times playing the Klezmer tunes from Japanese, Indian, jazz, Medieval, and con- my Landscapes CD. Since I had my own Competition temporary music” and Racheal through concert that evening, I also had them try her performances of Greek traditional mu- playing along with my CD-recorded “virtu- A Third National Re- sic with the group haBiBis. For the final al orchestra” that I was to use as a back- corder Competition piece of the first half, the entire group per- ground for the performance. was sponsored by formed a piece with a “solo” on the bombo While I was performing in the concert Orpheus Music and by 11-year-old Olive that received foot- that evening, a frog came into the chapel Dragon Early Music stamping applause! and sat and listened. For an encore, I called Enterprises in con- The second half of the concert was an Aldo onto the stage and we performed a junction with the incredible show put on by Linsey Pollack, Baroque sonata together. Unbeknownst to “Call of the Four Winds” Festival in called “The Art of Food.” Linsey invented a us, at precisely that moment, Zana was Armidale, N.S.W., January 15-22. The character called Ivan, “a kitchen-hand having her baby, an 8-lb. boy, who two days competition was entered by partici- who’s eccentric, hilarious, and totally irre- later was named Shah (“King”) Biffin. pants from around Australia and over- sistible. And he lives in a musical world seas. Winners in the performance sec- where all is possible... From the moment Friday, January 21 tions were: Open Solo (Fred Morgan that Ivan walks into the kitchen, every- I was unable to attend the Festival con- Memorial Prize): Kara Ciezki (pic- thing becomes musical... carrots, potatoes, cert, called “The Contemporary Recorder,” tured, from Melbourne); Under 18 satay sticks, meat cleavers, and even an because I was performing at Keith’s house Solo: Karyn Ashley (Armidale); electric drill with which he transforms a concert at the same time. Natasha, Ros, Under 12 Solo: Marion Barraclough carrot into a clarinet before our own eyes” Robyn, Ben, Ulrike, and Rodney per- (Melbourne); Open Ensemble: (from the program notes). formed pieces by Swiridoff, Blake, Water- Fortune (Sydney); Under 18 Ensem- man, Thorn, Anderson, and Bandt. I was ble: The Fipple Pipers (Wollon- Wednesday, January 19 told by friends later that the concert was a gong). Winners in the Composition Free day. We all catch up on our sleep, huge success and that Natasha’s improvi- sections were: Open piece for solo re- laundry, and practicing, and I have some sation was particularly expressive and as- corder: Yasuharu Fukushima nice quiet moments getting to know some sertive. (Japan); Open Ensemble piece: of the tutors better. In the afternoon, Ben Miggs Coggan (Armidale); Under 18 Thorn plays two of his compositions for Saturday, January 22 section: Cavin Adams (New-Zealand). me, one where he plays a pipe and small ta- After the morning tea/coffee break, Al- do, Rodney, John, and I had our streams
10 American Recorder Top left, Rodney Waterman at the con- cert on Tuesday, January 18. At left, John Tyson, far right, joins in on an en- semble piece that closes the first half of the concert. Above, in the second half of the concert, Linsey Pollack as Ivan, “a kitchen-hand who’s eccentric, hilarious, and totally irresistible, and who lives in a musical world where all is possible.”
Conclusion Zana Clarke and Caroline Downer showed remarkable vision and purpose in putting together this unique festival, as- sembling a versatile and eclectic group of people who worked together smoothly over the entire period. (A note of special perform for each other. Aldo’s class played Sunday, January 23 recognition should be given to Caroline a brilliant orchestration of the final Allegro Clean up day. De-briefing meeting. Downer for shouldering most of the day- of Handel’s A minor sonata that greatly en- Zana and Peter showed up with three-day to-day responsibilities with expertise and hanced my appreciation for the form and old Shah. After the meeting, I offered to ex- good humor.) I wish to congratulate them structure of the piece. Rodney’s group change CDs with anybody present. (I came both personally and thank them for having played a Brazilian tune with jazz improvs home with two dozen CDs of colleagues!) included me. I'm only sorry that time did in the middle. John’s group played a Re- In the afternoon, I flew to Sydney. The de- not allow me to visit and experience first- naissance tune with a remarkable sprechge- partures were not all painful, as I’d already hand all of the remarkable work that I sang descriptiveness and an enjoyable jazz made arrangements to see all of the Mel- know was happening at every moment of piece, also with improvs. My class played bourne-based colleagues the following the day! Having seen so many talented and “Craitele” (a blindingly fast piece tran- week. committed young students also gives me scribed from the Rumanian Flutes CD on great hope for the future. For me, this festi- Arion) and five Klezmer dances with im- January 26, “Australia Day” val was both an appropriate ending of one provised accompaniments. Early morning breakfast with Racheal century and a promising beginning of a The evening concert was entitled and fellow haBiBis member Irine Vela in new millennium. There is no doubt in my “Pearls of the Baroque.” Ulrike, Hans-Di- their backyard in Melbourne. Alexandra ar- mind that the “Call of the Four Winds” eter Michatz (Baroque flute), Ruth, Ros- rived and we played some trios. Then Alexan- Festival will be an event that people will be alind, Genevieve, and Greg beautifully per- dra took me to visit Fred Morgan’s wife, Anne talking about for years to come. I would es- formed Baroque masterpieces by Hot- Murphy, in Daylesford. I had known Anne’s pecially like to thank Giovanna Jatropelli teterre, Couperin, Bach (the B-flat trio sister, Mary, when she lived in Paris. Anne and Giorgio Campanaro, directors of, re- sonata), Loeillet (the quintet for two flutes, Murphy is a harpsichordist who teaches at spectively, the Sydney and Melbourne two recorders, and continuo), Elisabeth- Melbourne University. We spent a very warm branches of the Italian Cultural Institutes, Claude Jacquet de La Guerre, and Tele- and gentle evening together. Visiting Fred Mor- for their help, kindness, and sponsorship. mann (the D minor Tafelmusik). Greg Dik- gan’s workshop was a very special moment, mans opened the evening with a very sen- because, although I never had a chance to meet Based in Italy, David Bellugi is an Ameri- sitive and moving performance of van this extraordinary man, his presence was tan- can recorderist known for exploring multiple Eyck’s variations on “Daphne.” gible in the festival through his life’s work. cultural influences in his programming.
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