A Journey Through Our Time with Ensemble Offspring

Ensemble Offspring joins ANAM musicians for a program curated by Artistic Director, Claire Edwardes OAM. A Journey Through Our Time brings together music written by composers from different corners of the world, many of whom have worked closely with the ensemble.

The program features works by First Nations composers, Nardi Simpson (Yuwaalaraay) and Eric Avery (Ngiyampaa, Yuin and Gumbangirr), Australians Holly Harrison and Kate Moore, and two voices from America – Chen Yi and Jennifer Higdon. These composers who each offer their own take on rhythm, lyricism and sound. Led by Claire Edwardes, Véronique Serret, Blair Harris and Jason Noble, the concert moves from intimate stillness to bold, percussive energy.

“I curated this program for the combined talents of Ensemble Offspring and the students of ANAM,” says Claire Edwardes. “As a musical journey that is both pedagogical for the students and inspiring for the audience, the works traverse a huge breadth of styles and themes.”

From Nardi Simpson’s Wilga’s Last Dance, based on the only traditional Yuwaalaraay melody ever recorded, to Eric Avery’s Gliding, built on overlapping melodic lines and quiet momentum, this concert reflects how music carries memory. Chen Yi’s Qi balances intensity with precision; Holly Harrison’s bend, boogie, break brings groove and mischief; Kate Moore’s Fern unfolds slowly and delicately; and Jennifer Higdon’s Zaka finishes the night in a burst energy.

Nardi SIMPSON Wilga’s Last Dance
Eric AVERY Gliding
Chen YI Qi
Holly HARRISON bend, boogie, break
Kate MOORE Fern
Jennifer HIGDON Zaka

Ensemble Offspring:
Claire Edwardes (Alum 1998) percussion
Blair Harris (Alum 2005) cello
Lamorna Nightingale flute
Jason Noble (Alum 1996) clarinet
ANAM Musicians