Over Glass Rivers (short stories from Broger’s Creek)

Commissioned by euphonium player James Blackford in 2023, this piece for solo euphonium and string quartet was a joy to write. James is an extremely expressive player, so I wanted to make sure there were several melodic passages peppered throughout the piece. This piece depicts the beautiful and secluded landscape that is Broger’s Creek, south NSW. I stayed at an air bnb that looked over this beautiful landscape while I was starting to gather thoughts about the piece. There were so many animals that thrived in this natural landscape, as they were so undisturbed by human activity. Everyday I would see a different type of bird, echidnas, wallabies, etc. This piece mimics the sounds of water dancing through the creek, the birds having their daily conversations, and the trees rustling in the wind. I imagined myself as a bird flying over the beautiful landscape, following the twists and turns of the creek below.