Aaron Wyatt, Djeran for solo viola & string orchestra, Stefanie Farrands & Melbourne String Ensemble

The Melbourne String Ensemble directed by Fintan Murphy
Stefanie Farrands, solo viola
Excerpts from Djeran for solo viola and string orchestra by Aaron Wyatt (World Premiere)
Inspired by Djeran Season, April to May, Noongar Country
Commissioned in 2023 by Melbourne String Ensembles as part of The Seasons Project
The Seasons 2, The Edge, Fed Square, Melbourne, 2 December 2023
Supported by City of Melbourne Arts Grants
The Seasons Project
Conceived in 2021 with the aim of broadening our understanding and representation of indigenous seasons, The Seasons Project commissions new works inspired by the diverse seasons of Country in Australia. These works are curated within performance and education programs, inviting audiences to explore the narratives and cultural significance of the seasons. By delving into the perceptions and stories surrounding each season, the project offers an opportunity to deepen connections to culture and the environment. The Seasons Project premiered in 2022 with a collection of season-inspired works for string orchestra, composed by First Nations artists. These compositions were paired in performance with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, creating a dialogue between traditional and contemporary perspectives. The works were commissioned and performed by The Melbourne String Ensemble.
Original Concept Caitlin Williams. Developed and realised by Caitlin Williams, Creative Producer and Fintan Murphy, MSE Artistic Director & Conductor.
mse.org.au/pro...
Composer Notes
Djeran is the Noongar season from April to May.
Represented by the colour green, it is the time of year where the oppressive heat of the summer months finally gives way to cooler weather and dewy mornings. Where banksias start to flower, and the red gums and summer flame add their hue to the landscape. It is a time for renewed life and activity, and that took on a particularly personal note this year (and made the season an obvious choice) as my partner, Cathrin, and I welcomed our first child into the world. It is to him that this work is dedicated. (Life pro tip: don’t take on a commission that’s due when you’re going to have a newborn to contend with if you want a stress-free existence.) The work is in a single movement, but within that it has a condensed three movement structure. After a slow intro that brings us from the heat of the previous season, Bunuru, into Djeran, each of the three sections begins with a solo viola moment that sets the tone of what is to come. The first is a celebration of life. Of the return of water to a parched landscape, and of the birds, fresh water fish, and frogs that revel playfully in this. The second section (from letter K) brings to mind a still, cool, starlit night. Some of the melodic fragments in the viola introduction are drawn from a simplified transcription of a koolbardi’s (magpie’s) song, while the ensemble entry brings with it an ode to our new child. The final section (from letter R) marks the coming of rains, the blooming of the red flowers that colour the season, and a drive to prepare for the cold of Makuru that lies ahead.
Aaron Wyatt, 2023
CONCERT PROGRAM
Boonwurrung Welcome Song by James Henry.
Lyrics by Jarra Steele, Translation by Aunty Faye Muir.
String Arrangement by Taran Carter*
Vocalist James Henry
Commissioned by the Boon Wurrung Foundation and the
Footscray Community Arts Centre for the Due West Festival 2019
Arrangement for String Orchestra commissioned by The Seasons Project in 2022
Djeran for solo viola and string orchestra by Aaron Wyatt (World Premiere*)
Inspired by Noongar Country (April-May)
Soloist Stefanie Farrands
Biwaawa by Brenda Gifford*
Inspired by Dhagarwa (winter), Yuin Country
Recomposed by Max Richter Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Spring
Smith’s Alchemy by Carl Vine
*Commissioned by The Seasons Project, Melbourne String Ensemble
Video captured by James Henry (edited by Caitlin Williams)