Ensemble Offspring – Light and Matter

Ethereal, spiritual, transcendent whatever you prefer to call it, the music of Light and Matter responds to experiences beyond the physical world. Joined by renowned soprano Jane Sheldon, Ensemble Offspring’s octet perform two world premieres, a visceral Australian premiere and a classic from a recently departed icon. From mystical folktales to haunting fragments of fading memories, this is a program which is truly out of this world.

Georges Aperghis’ Wild Romance isn’t nearly as tender as the title suggests, but it is undeniably passionate. Extreme tensions between the vocalist and chamber ensemble evoke the reconstruction of a painful distant memory. Kaija Saariaho’s Light and Matter captures the continuous transformation of light on glinting leaves in New York’s Morningside Park. Bree van Reyk weaves her pensive soundworld around the unique ensemble lineup in the first of two world premieres, the second of which comes from Melbourne-based composer May Lyon. Composed as Ensemble Offspring’s final Noisy Women Commission, Lyon’s Do Na Chaill delves into the Scottish folklore of disembodied voices, perfectly navigating the intangible and mystical themes of the program.