Archipelago

chamber orchestra

Premiered on January 19, 2024, at Elder Hall, South Australia.

Instrumentation: fl. ob. cl. bsn. | hn. tpt. tbn. tba. | perc. hp. pno. | 4 vln. 2 vla. 2 vc. 1 db

Sample Score 1

Sample Score 2

Score available for purchase via the Australian Music Centre

Archipelago draws inspiration from a series of artist-led hikes around Apollo Bay, Gadubanud Country, Victoria. These walks were undertaken in silence, focusing on the way soundscapes emerged and receded with each shift in terrain. The route traversed pastures, dense bushland alive with birds and insects, rocky shorelines, and fast-moving streams, each environment possessing distinct sonic and atmospheric qualities that evolved across time of day and weather conditions. This heightened awareness of sound in motion—where familiar elements were continuously reshaped by their surroundings—formed the conceptual foundation of the work.

The composition mirrors this experience by structuring material as a sequence of self-contained musical ideas that surface, intersect, and withdraw within the texture, evoking a sense of transience. A balance between stasis and flow is explored through repeating and evolving cells, with degrees of aleatory introducing an organic flux. The work unfolds as a journey through a shifting sonic landscape, maintaining a continuous sense of movement and departure.

Lutosławski’s chain form serves as a key influence, both in structural approach and notational style. Some direct quotations from Chain II and Chain III can be found in Archipelago as nods to their inspirational role.

Archipelago was written as part of the Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp.