Sunda Song written in 2007 for the trio Carisma, Anna Stoddart, flute, Janice Preece, harp and Louise King, cello, was inspired by memories I have of the music of Sunda, West Java and of the street musicians I often heard playing in Bandung and Jogjakarta.  Often these street musicians would sing as they played and sometimes spontaneously move into dance.  I loved these unexpected encounters which were part of the colorful life of Java and I hope I have captured some of that relaxed and playful spirit in Sunda Song.

There have been a number of recent performances and broadcasts of this work which has also been programmed on Carisma's latest CD of 'sublime,ambient music' Lily's Eyes ABC 476 6325.
Recorded August/September, 2007, Sunda Song was performed at the launch of the CD which took place in Brisbane on the 7th December.  The work was also programmed in the Harp Society Christmas celebrations held in Brisbane on the 2nd December, 2007 and in concerts given by Carisma in Pomona and Nambour, December, 2007.

The CD Lily's Eyes ABC 476 6325 is available at all ABC Shops and Centres.

The Javanese pianist/composer Ananda Sukarlan made his first visit to Brisbane in November where he performed in recital at the Concert Hall of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music Griffith University on the 23rd November, 2007.  He programmed works by Australian and Spanish composers which included my Merindu Bali...Bali Yearning.  I wrote this piece for Ananda in 2003.   It has been performed in  New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Scotland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Indonesia in his In Memoriam concerts (programs of piano works written in memory of the victims of the Bali bombing, by composers from around the world).  The series of In Memoriam recitals was, in Ananda's words "a musical monument to Bali, the culture and the people, and to all victims of violence and terrorism".

Merindu Bali...Bali Yearning is published by Wirripang, Publishers of Fine Australian Music, http://www.australiancomposers.com.au/  and has been recorded by Sally Mays and programmed on JAD CD 1108  Winter Solstice.

November 30th, 2007 gave me the opportunity to hear the first Australian performance of Brisbane Waters.   A commissioned piece for the American Bass Clarinetist Ron Wakefield who performed the work in a series of Pacific Rim concerts given in California in 1986.   The piece was originally performed accompanied by a prepared tape featuring Didgeridu, however, in this very interesting performance given by The Brisbane Bass Clarinet Collective in the Ian Hanger Recital Hall, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, the solo performer Diana Tolmie was supported by an ensemble of bass clarinets taking on the role of the single didgeridu. The Collective looked wonderful standing very still in a circle around the soloist and the presentation was very striking, a dramatic opening to a program which was highly energised and very creative.