Kodaly Australia Conference Choral Commission: Anchored by a Heart
'Anchored by a Heart' by Juliana Kay
Kodály Australia Conferences have a wonderful history of supporting Australian choral music and composers by commissioning new choral works that are premiered at the conference and may go on to take on a life of their own. As a Kodály-inspired teacher and member of the conference organising committee who also happens to be a composer, I feel very invested in this commission and its place at the conference, and am excited to see it come to life in September.
The piece in a nutshell:
- SSAB and guzheng
- Words by Eileen Chong, adapted from the poem Elementary Chinese
- Music by Juliana Kay with Yifei Tang (guzheng)
The 2024 Kodály Australia Conference Choir will be joined by QiQi (guzheng) for the premiere of Anchored by a Heart.
What is it about?
The piece is a setting of one of Eileen Chong’s poems, which plays on the quirks of learning how to read and write Chinese. Eileen grew up in the cultural melting pot of Singapore before moving to Sydney in her 20s, and her poems explore Asian-Australian identities, immigration and living between cultures. While Chong can speak conversational Manadarin, she confesses to being able to read and write very little of the language. The poem Elementary Chinese is a nod to the intricacies of Chinese characters and the charm and the beauty to be found in learning to read them, from the perspective of a beginner.
The poem resonated with me as someone who has been successful in learning several European languages but continues to struggle to learn Chinese (despite several decent attempts!). The poem is a reminder that even scratching the surface of something difficult can be rewarding and beautiful, and that taking the time to learn something difficult but important, be it a language or music, is always “anchored by a heart”.
Why guzheng?
The guzheng, sometimes called a Chinese zither, is a plucked string instrument popular in China and Chinese communities around the world. It is tuned pentatonically, played with “claws” that the player attaches to each finger, and makes a beautiful sound.
I was inspired to write for guzheng after working in several schools in Melbourne’s east and encountering several excellent student guzheng players in each school, with no one ensembles to play in. At my most recent school, I encountered a phenomenal player Yifei (Angela) Tang who had won competitions in China and had composed pieces for the instrument, yet there was no ensemble for her to play in at school. So I had her create an accompaniment for an otherwise simple unaccompanied song the senior choir was learning. It was a fantastic sound combination and, eager to make more of this music, I got back in contact with her after graduation and asked if she would help me with this commission. It is my hope that Anchored by a Heart will be just the starting point of a longer exploration of combining choir and guzheng.
Be part of the premiere at Kodály Australia Conference
All delegates will be part of the Conference Choir, conducted by Tracy Wong and Mark O’Leary OAM. Over three 45-minute sessions, the Conference Choir will work on Anchored by a Heart as well as Sehati by Tracy Wong.
Performance:
Conference Choral Showcase:
Wednesday 25 September, 6:30pm,
Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School Performing Arts Centre
The Choral Showcase will also include performances by Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School Bel Canto choir, The Yarra Voices, Choristry and Exaudi
Juliana Kay
