Album Notes

CLOSE UPS was a highlight of 2004 for Halcyon; an intimate
program bringing together just a handful of artists for each work,
set in the beautiful acoustic of Trackdown Scoring Stage, and
accompanied towards the end by a fantastical Sydney rain storm.

Based in Sydney, the Australian ensemble HALCYON has emerged
as a dynamic force for the promotion of new and recent chamber
music for voice.
HALCYON directors Alison Morgan (soprano) and Jenny Duck-
Chong (mezzo soprano) are both successful Australian solo artists,
with a shared commitment to contemporary classical music. They
are joined in HALCYON performances by some of Australia’s most
esteemed chamber soloists, conductors and singers.
There is a vast amount of new repertoire composed for voice and
chamber ensemble world wide, most of it receiving little or no
performance opportunities in Australia. HALCYON is committed to
unearthing these neglected musical gems of the twentieth century
and beyond with sophisticated performances of contemporary
music including international and Australian premieres. Through
the commissioning of new works, HALCYON also provides
Australian composers with exciting opportunities for promotion and
performance of their important contribution to the repertoire.
Every year HALCYON presents a range of new music, from works
for one or two instruments to large-scale compositions. In 2003,
the ensemble performed two major international compositions
by Harrison Birtwistle and James Macmillan, alongside a new
commission for two voices and small ensemble by young Australian
composer Jane Stanley. The 2004 Concert Series featured newly
commissioned works by Australian composers Graham Hair, John
Peterson, Rosalind Page and Dan Walker alongside international
compositions by such composers as George Crumb, Kaija
Saariaho, Earl Kim and Gabriel Erkoreka

ARTISTS
ALISON MORGAN soprano
JENNY DUCK-CHONG mezzo-soprano
STEVEN MEYER flutes
ALEXANDRE OGUEY cor anglais
ALISON EDDINGTON percussion
SALLY WHITWELL piano
LUCY O’SHEA harp
ALEX NORTON violin
NICOLE FORSYTH viola
SALLY MAER cello

Recorded live at Trackdown Scoring Stage,
Fox Studios, Sydney in June 2004.
Patrick Mullins: Engineer/Editor
Daniel Brown: Assistant Engineer