O Oriensis, opus 24 (1986)
O Oriensis is a short work for four-part choir accompanied by marimba, piano and organ. The work was commissioned by 4MBS-FM and the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts. It was composed in early 1986 when the composer was living in London. The work is dedicated to the composer’s parents and is a setting of a simple text by the composer. The word ‘Oriensis’ refers to the bright morning star in the East – a mythical symbol of hope.
O Oriensis,
O child of light.
O Oriensis,
O source of light.
O Oriensis,
O light of light.
O Oriensis,
O send us peace.
The setting is melismatic on the words O Oriensis, but otherwise declamatory in style. The organ part can be performed by any type of organ (electronic or traditional) as its part simply picks up the ‘acoustic horizon’ of sustained pitches outlined by the voices, piano and marimba.
Like other works composed at this period (including Etudes Espace for organ) there is use of resonant and sustained tones that hang in the atmosphere. These very soft resonant and sustained pitches are eventually contrasted with the lack of resonance provided by silence at the critical moment of the work, on the words: “O send us peace.” The work was given its first performance in 1987 by the University Singers conducted by the composer at Christ Church St Laurence in Sydney. Memorably, at the moment of silence, a distant police siren could be heard from the world outside — as if bringing home the plea for peace at that point.
Browse other notes
- After Figaro for e flat clarinet, opus 23
- After Nina for clarinet, cello and piano, opus 73
- As for bass clarinet and piano, opus 63b
- As wave drives wave, opus 115
- Ash Fire – Contrapunctus IX for chamber orchestra, opus 62
- Attack for solo viola, opus 23a
- August Offensive for orchestra, opus 92
- B-bouncing for three clarinets, opus 20
- Barcarole for solo piano, opus 45a
- Barren Grounds, opus 36
- Bassoon Concerto, opus 117
- Bayu for piano, opus 109
- Beach Burial for choir and orchestra, opus 78
- Black River, opus 37
- But God Cannot Be Known, for choir
- Calling Music (Contrafactum I) for orchestra, opus 39
- Chamber Suite from The Children’s Bach, opus 74b
- Chant – Tupukur ulute, opus 118
- Children’s Bach, opus 74
- Chorale, Demon, Beacon for bass koto and percussion, opus 51
- Christmas Song for French horn and piano, opus 65a
- Cloud Burning for winds, brass and percussion, opus 25
- Collide for bass clarinet and marimba, opus 42a
- Dark Chair, opus 47c
- Dark Well, opus 107
- Dead Songs for soprano, clarinet, cello, and piano, opus 45
- Deep blue and dirty for bassoon and piano, opus 87
- Descent of Mont Ventoux for string quartet, opus 107c
- Devil’s Music (Contrafactum II) for orchestra, opus 46
- Distant Shore, opus 44
- Ditties for voice and guitar, opus 17
- Diver’s Lament for orchestra, opus 52
- Dominion, opus 112
- Doppler Patrol, opus 111
- Duo Variations for viola and piano, opus 42
- Ekstasis for six solo voices, opus 43
- Elegy – The Moon Drowned for soprano, viola and piano, opus 102b
- Endling for orchestra, opus 72
- Ether Etude for sextet, opus 77
- Etudes Espace for organ, opus 30
- Everlasting Arms for clarinet and piano, opus 45b
- Falling Man/Dancing Man for organ and orchestra, opus 68
- Fast Talking: the last words of Dutch Schultz, opus 38
- Flock of Angels, opus 110a
- Four Inventions for piano, opus 74a
- Four Songs from Dead Songs, opus 45e
- From Fire Country for bass clarinet, opus 64c
- Garotte for orchestra, opus 10
- Going Into Shadows, opus 63
- Golden Dominion, opus 113
- Hamel Monash, opus 104b
- Harmonia belli, opus 104
- I am black for voice and piano, opus 63a
- I am writing in this book, Opus 88
- Indigo Invention for violin and cello, opus 83a
- Interludes for piano, opus 100 no. 2
- Journey to Horseshoe Bend, opus 64
- Joyride
- L’Oiseau Fantastique I for clarinet, violin, cello, chamber organ and piano, opus 17
- L’Oiseau Fantastique II for string quartet and piano, opus 18
- Lake moonrise for mezzosoprano and ensemble, opus 94
- Larrakia Lament, opus 105
- Le Molière Imaginaire for eight voices, opus 99
- Lines drawn from silence for soprano and ensemble, opus 55a
- little tree for children’s choir and orchestra, opus 65
- Maali – Concerto for oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon with orchestra, opus 101
- Magnificat for choir, opus 79
- Master Mariner, opus 45
- Meaning of Water for seven harps, opus 69
- Mephisto for sextet, opus 41
- Mind, opus 106
- Moon and ocean for piano, opus 100 no.3
- Moon Drowned for soprano, tenor and piano, opus 102c
- Music is a gentle hammer
- Night Birds for solo clarinet, opus 86
- Night Flight for violin and piano, opus 41a
- Nocturnes and Variations, for piano, Opus 96
- Nunc dimittis for choir, opus 89
- Once upon a time… for orchestra, opus 70
- One Sound – Quintet for flute and strings, opus 90
- Paradise for soprano, cello and piano, opus 95
- Peace for orchestra, opus 93
- Piano Concerto, opus 114
- Prelude and Postscript for piano, opus 100 no. 1
- Quicksilver Serenade for violin, viola, cello and double bass, opus 66
- Respiro/Simple Ground for flute and piano, opus 48
- Ring Out Wild Bells, opus 75
- River of silence, opus 110b
- Sea Call for brass trio, opus 35
- Sea-Change for piano, opus 32
- Septet no. 1, opus 16
- Septet No. 2 (Circle Ground), opus 52
- She dances by the river, opus 103
- Silk Canons for sextet, opus 47b
- Silk for two sopranos, opus 47
- Silken Weave for trumpet and piano, opus 47a
- Simplify, Simplify, for choir and ensemble, opus 82
- Sleepers Wake, Karalananga for piano, opus 64b
- Solace for chamber orchestra, opus 7
- Sonata for piano – Night Visions, opus 13
- Sonatina for harp, opus 108
- Sonatina for solo clarinet, opus 6
- Sonatina for solo violin, opus 66a
- Song of Songs for 18 voices, opus 67
- Sound Lur and Serpent for brass and percussion, opus 98
- Southern Cantata, opus 102
- Southern Ocean for choir and orchestra, opus 60
- Spherics for sextet, opus 21
- St Peter’s Suite for symphonic winds, opus 97
- Stick Dance 1 for clarinet, marimba and piano, opus 22a
- Stick Dance 2 for clarinet, viola and piano, opus 22b
- Stick Dance 3 for clarinet, violin and piano, opus 22c
- Stille Sprache for soprano, violin and piano, opus 81
- Study After Septet for bass clarinet, opus 16a
- Suspended Preludes for double bass and piano, opus 49
- Symphony No. 1 – In Tempore Stellae, opus 59
- Symphony No. 2 – Ghosts of Reason, opus 76
- Symphony No. 3 – Century, opus 91
- The Line for choir and orchestra, opus 116
- Three Architects for choir, opus 91a
- Three Pieces for Two Pianos, opus 1
- Three Songs from the Maritimes for choir
- To the Evening Star – five songs for soprano and piano, opus 80
- Tonic Continent for violin, cello and piano, opus 61
- Twelve Variations for piano duet, opus 57
- Two Pieces for piano, opus 100 no. 4
- Two Welsh Lullabies
- Violin Concerto, opus 55
- Violin Sonata, opus 84
- Wild Flower for six part choir, opus 71
- Willow Bend for orchestra, opus 50
- Wind Quintet, opus 85
- Winter Ground for solo vibraphone, opus 58