music for organ, brass, voices, didjeridu and electronics DOUGLAS LAWRENCE REVERBERATIONS ONE REVERBERATIONS TWO Douglas Lawrence, organ Douglas Lawrence, organ music for organ, brass, music for organ, didjeridu, and electronic tape voices, and electronics 1 Cathedral Music I * 1 Sanctus * Ian Bonighton 13’05” Ron Nagorcka 20’25” 2 Toccata 2 Hymn for the death of Felix Werder 10’35” Jesus James Penberthy 6’25” 3 Theme and Variations 3 Scherzo (‘Devils up there’) Ron Nagorcka 11’00” James Penberthy 4’15” 4 Paraphrase ‘In Five’ + 4 Holy Thursday Mass = Statico 2 Felix Werder 4’50” Keith Humble 10’50” * didjeridu / Ralph Nicholls * The Festival Brass electronics / Tim Robinson Ensemble voices / Ernie Althoff, Andrew trumpets / Boris Belousov, Bernard, Ann Blare, Mars John Grey, Robert Harry McMillan, Ron Nagorcka, trombones / Robert Clark, Susan Nagorcka, Jane Eric Klay O’Brien, Tim Tyler, Andrew Uren Cover design / Peter Green Registration assistance by Photography (front) / Ann Blore and Rod Junor. The Ivan Gaal production of Reverberations Engineering / two has been assisted by the Martin Wright Australia Council Production / Photograph of Douglas Nicholas Alexander Lawrence (back) / Paul Wright Artwork (inside back) / Peter Green P 1973/1979/2000 MOVE RECORDS move.com.au essence of the toccata mentality. Structured worked as an assistant. In 1960 he founded and Reverberations lines that burst out of the frame; shadowy free directed the Centre de Musique at the American movement and accoustical happenings that bear Artists Centre in Paris. Six years later he returned one witness to the influence of electronics and textures to the Faculty of Music in Melbourne University that are mirrored so that the work ends in exact becoming in charge of the then new Electronic IAN BONIGHTON (1942-1975) was rapidly gaining inverse of its opening.” Music Studio. He explained the piece on this recognition not only as a brilliant composer, but record as follows: “PARAPHRASE ‘IN FIVE’ is an also as an outstanding teacher at the time this RON NAGORCKA (b. 1948) studied under Ian instruction to the organist to take my work IN recording was made. He studied at the University Bonighton and Keith Humble and began composing FIVE and paraphrase it to his instrument. IN FIVE of Melbourne and taught there from 1968. In in 1971. Of THEME AND VARIATIONS he writes: is a klangfarben melodic work for any number 1972 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of “The form of this piece is baroque only in that of instruments. Its structure is built around the Music in composition, leaving Australia in 1974 registration changes are made at the end of each number 5. MASS is an electronic work (actually the to visit European electronic music studios and variation. These changes are specified for every 4th movement of ‘parodie’) and the program for to secure a lectureship at the University of East manual and the pedal of a four-manual organ this work is built on similar principles to IN FIVE. Anglia. His CATHEDRAL MUSIC 1 was written for so that each variation becomes an exploration Add the two events together and you have STATICO the 1972 Melbourne Autumn Festival of Organ and of the textural possibilities of a different total 2.” Harpsichord. The work is scored for two organs registration. After setting certain parameters and brass ensemble. In this recording, the second (e.g. pitch areas, length and notation) the cluster DOUGLAS LAWRENCE (b. 1943) has established organ part was ‘double-tracked’ by Douglas arrangement, pauses and rhythmic outline of the himself as one of the most brilliant of the younger Lawrence. The composer describes CATHEDRAL theme were written following random numbers generation of Australian organists. He studied MUSIC I as follows: “The work sets out to explore generated by logarithmic tables. The variations under Sergio de Pieri in Melbourne and spent two the sonorities available within a large building. take the form of visual or geometric rather than years at the Vienna Academy in the concert class The result is a polychoral mosaic in which large aural arrangements of a theme in order to create of Anton Heiller. During 1971 and 1972 he gave masses of sound are juxtaposed with subtle tonal a maximum of textural interest. The performer recitals in Spain, Switzerland and Austria and shadings to create a type of music that could only is given considerable freedom with regard to returned to the Music Faculty of the University of be produced in a cathedral.” rhythm, silence and at times the actuaI sequence Melbourne where he is now Chief Study Teacher of of events. There is no message and only one aim – Organ. FELIX WERDER (1927) is one of Australia’s most the liberation of sound.” distinguished and prolific composers. Although In recital, Douglas Lawrence usually chooses to born in Berlin, he spends most of his composing KEITH HUMBLE (1922-1995) was one of Australia’s include the works of contemporary composers in career here and considers himself very much the foremost exponent of electronic music and at his program. He considers it important that new Australian composer. The organ TOCCATA belongs the time of this recording was dividing his time works for the organ are played – if only to make to what Warder says is his ‘Gothic’ period. He between Melbourne and San Diego where he was sure that composers do not lose their enthusiasm writes: “The Gothic mentality is one of intellectual a visiting professor at the University of California. for the instrument. Over the past decade or so, organisation which conceals passion – that linear He studied at the University of Melbourne, the there has been a resurgence of interest in the quality that knots at the base but untwines as Royal Academy of Music in London and with Rene organ and something of a renaissance in organ it reaches for the stars. In the TOCCATA, I have Leibowitz in Paris with whom he subsequently building – especially in Australia. The works presented not so much the form but the platonic Lawrence has recorded here differ greatly in their fifth to evoke pathos. It sounds like the many times individual styles. They all indicate, however, that reiterated name of Jesus. the composers have a positive, forward-looking approach which is marked by its determination to SCHERZO bears great compositional similarities to explore the full possibilities of the instrument. the first work but has a much more lighthearted This recording was made in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, SANCTUS, by Ron Nagorcka, is the coming disposition. Cheeky little figures scurry around the Melbourne by kind permission of the Dean. The together of an organist, a didjeridu player, an organ. It is subtitled ‘Devils up there’. The piece organ, built in 1964 by George Fincham and Sons, electronic technician and a group of untrained is a commentary on the triumph and grandeur of is a neo-classical instrument of four manuals and singers in the cathedral to produce a sonic object resurrection. 73 speaking stops. according to the general specifications of a simple score. Of Sanctus, the composer has said: “Sounds Felix Werder wrote HOLY THURSDAY on a – especially those produced by human beings – commission from the Victorian Society of Organists Reverberations exist in a cultural context. Didjeridu, pipe-organ, in 1978. It was first performed by John Hogan in voices, electronic devices and cathedrals all that year at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Of the piece, the two produce sounds with specific and unique cultural composer has written: “I thought that the Society identities. Hopefully, the attempt to blend them into had in mind the famous poem of William Blake The original idea for REVERBERATIONS ONE came a mere sonic compatibility does not destroy the in which he ironically deals with the professional from a spectacular performance at St Patrick’s ambiguities resulting from their juxtaposition, nor charity-mongers of the satanic mills. So I read the Cathedral, Melbourne during the Festival of Organ in any way belittle the Immense significance of the poem and was suitably inspired particularly by and Harpsichord during 1972. One of the pieces on didjeridu in the culture of its origin.” the imagery of the children ‘like the mighty wind the program was Cathedral Music I – composed they raise to heaven the voice of song’ and how for the festival by the late Ian Bonighton. With the The two James Penberthy pieces were written the wooden galleries in which they sit seemed work, the composer had set out to “explore the for the Perth Organ Festival in 1972 and first transformed into the ‘seats of Heaven’”. The piece sonorites available within a large building” and performed in St. George’s Cathedral by Michael is a logical continuation of the scatter techniques so successful was he in achieving this aim, that a Wentzell. Both works use strict notation alongside and constant nuance of tempo and colour that recording of the work was made by Move Records aleatoric sections. One of the strongest devices is Werder first showed in his Toccata – recorded on and released – along with works by Keith Humble, the “pegging” or the holding down of the last note Reverberations One. In Holy Thursday, the writing Ron Nagorckaand Felix Werder - under the title of of each event. This is done by placing a weight is more terse – more sparse, and a feeling of inner Reverberations. on the organ key. In this way a gradual cluster of vitality is generated. many notes is built up leaving the hands free to Reviewers of the first Reverberations have, without play further events. Recorded in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, by exception, been unanimous in their praise of the kind permission of the Dean, the Very Rev.