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Chamber vocal ensemble\u00a0Halcyon has a new project underway.\u00a0 Kingfisher, Songs for Halcyon <\/em>is a seminal commissioning project to\u00a0celebrate and indeed commemorate\u00a015 years of music making by Australia\u2019s leading ensemble for contemporary vocal chamber music.<\/p>\n In the decade and a half since its inception, Halcyon has\u00a0undertaken\u00a0performing, commissioning, recording and maintained a strong presence\u00a0in the Australian new music scene. Halcyon’s Artistic Director, soprano\u00a0Alison Morgan says “During this\u00a0time we\u2019ve presented more than 30 different programs as well as appearing in festivals, on tour and in education programs and seminars. Halcyon is very proud of the programs we\u2019ve presented over the years, which have introduced some rarely heard but fantastic music to our audiences. And we\u2019re richer for the performers and composers we\u2019ve come to know as we\u2019ve immersed ourselves in this music together, working alongside almost 100 players as well as established ensembles.\u00a0These years of performing have featured more than 60 Australian works, more than 110 international works, over 20 commissions, 35 world premieres and at least 40 Australian premieres. Exhausting\u00a0but exhilarating when you look at it this way!”<\/p>\n As a result of the Kingfisher <\/em>project,\u00a0there will be a\u00a0significant expansion in just one year, of\u00a0the existing performance repertoire\u00a0for singer and small ensemble. Importantly, the project will also generate a Halcyon legacy that will include two live concert performances and the Kingfisher<\/em> CD and Songbook<\/em>.<\/p>\n For Kingfisher<\/em>, Halcyon has commissioned songs by\u00a023 of Australia\u2019s most\u00a0respected composers, some of whom have had close connections with the ensemble over many years. Each of these composer has been\u00a0selected for their unique ability to write\u00a0for singers and for their important contribution to Australian vocal repertoire. Alison Morgan says”\u00a0We\u2019re delighted and humbled that so many of our favourite composers have, without hesitation, agreed to join us for this exciting venture.” The composers include\u00a0Katy Abbott,\u00a0Gerard Brophy, Nigel Butterley, Ross Edwards, Andrew Ford, Stuart Greenbaum, Elliott Gyger,\u00a0 Moya Henderson, Gordon Kerry, Raffaele Marcellino, Rosalind Page, John Peterson, Andrew Schultz, Paul Stanhope, Nicholas Vines and\u00a0Dan Walker.<\/p>\n Joining Alison Morgan in performing in Kingfisher<\/em>, are mezzo soprano Jenny Duck-Chong,\u00a0flautist Laura Chislett Jones, clarinettist Diana Springford, cellist Geoffrey Gartner and percussionist Joshua Hill.<\/p>\n Halcyon directors Alison Morgan and Jenny Duck-Chong have\u00a0challenged the composers to\u00a0put aside that symphony, pause the all-consuming opera and turn inwards for a while; it\u2019s time to think small and write a song. The theme is \u2018halcyon\u2019, which can encompass all meanings of the word, from the legendary bird that calms the stormy waters, to the ocean and its moods, to an ensemble that explores new and rarely heard music!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chamber vocal ensemble\u00a0Halcyon has a new project underway.\u00a0 Kingfisher, Songs for Halcyon is a seminal commissioning project to\u00a0celebrate and indeed commemorate\u00a015 years…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"sls_format":[],"class_list":["post-13431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":{"deck":"","is_featured":false,"media_type":"standard","audio_embed":"","video_url":""},"yoast_head":"\n