Recital by Merism Duo
Sunday, 12 August 2018, 4pm – 4.30pm
Lee Foundation Theatre
Kezia Yap: as it calls in the dawn light (Asian Premiere)
Jay Ong: Transit Sketches III for saxophone duo (Asian Premiere)
Michael Jamieson: Nga Manu “Bird Song Suite” for two soprano saxophones
- Kea
- Tui
- Ruru
- Piwakawaka
Daniel Yiau: 2 Sax Scenes (Asian Premiere)
Michellina Chan and Mary Osborn, soprano saxophones
Merism Duo takes the audience on a musical voyage between Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The music is drawn together by an underlying theme of flight, linked further by the representation of birds and the composers’ personal reflection of their respective regions. Two out of three new works in this programme have been specifically written to be performed at the World Saxophone Congress in Zagreb 2018 by Merism Duo, and as part of their proceeding international tour. Kezia Yap’s as it calls in the dawn light explores Australian landscapes and culture, and the strong sense of wanderlust many Australians carry. Jay Ong’s Transit Sketches III is the third in a series of works evoking Singaporean culture. Michael Jamieson’s Nga Manu depicts four typical native New Zealand birds and their habitats: Kea – a large, curious and sometimes destructive parrot found in the mountain ranges; Tui – the native songbird whose beautiful virtuosic melodies are interrupted with deep, guttural groans; Ruru – the tiny native owl who inhabits the nocturnal landscape; and the cheeky, acrobatic Piwakawaka, or fantail, that darts through the air changing direction in a split-second as it snaps up tiny insects in mid-flight.