NOMINATION: Work of the Year - Choral
Choral works are defined as accompanied or unaccompanied works for massed voices (more than 1 singer per part).
A work is defined as a single complete musical composition, or expression. This includes music with movements or sub-works (i.e. song cycles), installations, and real-time compositions (improvised music).
If you believe your work to be nominated in the wrong category or the details of your nomination to be incorrect, please contact the AMC via email at awards@australianmusiccentre.com.au before proceeding with the nomination.
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Nominee
Richard Lawson
Title of the work
On Love Lost Days
Performer
Acacia Quartet
Performance Date
16/10/2024
Venue
On Love Lost Days
Nominator Statement
I nominate Richard Lawson and his composition "On Love Lost Days," performed and recorded by the Acacia Quartet, for the APRA Arts Music Award 2025.
The work is written as Ekphrastic interpretation of my poetic work 'On Love Lost Days' which was published in 2024.
Additionally, I note that this piece was featured in the ABC Limelight Art Music playlist on Spotify for January 2025, a significant achievement. There is also interest from various ABC Classic DJs who love the work and have recommended it to programming.
"On Love Lost Days" is a short, mesmerizing, and deeply poignant work based on a naïve yet arresting three-part invention. Written for a quartet, the piece is stripped back to an evocative and plaintive refrain, devastating in its expression of emotion for "a Love Lost Day."
The first section introduces the theme of loss with a faltering, deceptively humble set of three stringed passages, repeating once before resolving back to the beginning in a cyclical motion. This simplicity highlights the purity of the theme, evoking a sense of love lost and longing reminiscent of composers like Mahler and Debussy.
In the second section, the same chords persist, but the violins and viola introduce a rhythmic pulse that heightens the tension. The composer expands the instruments range, giving them a strident and commanding presence. This shift sets the stage for the dramatic and unexpected entrance of the solo cello. The cello, with its profound pathos and resemblance to the human voice, particularly in the tenor range, adds layers of grief and remorse. It weaves through arpeggios, engaging with the violins and viola in a sinewy yet muscular interplay. The section culminates in a climax that is slightly dissonant yet intensely dramatic, akin to a human scream of desperation.
The third and final section serves as the pièce de résistance, returning to the initial theme of measured, bowed chords. However, this time, the quartet reduces them to a barely audible whisperthe lingering voice after an emotional outpouring, the remnants of a scream. This stripped-down conclusion, with a softer approach and subtle dissonance, heightens the overall tension. The chords gradually fade, their energy spent, bringing the piece to a soft and gentle close.
Overall, this work demonstrates remarkable mastery and maturity in the use of repetition and simple chord patterns, particularly given Richard Lawsons newness to the classical world. As a self-taught composer with an impressive background in rock, ambient, and electronic music, this piece marks his debut classical work with the esteemed Acacia Quartet.
His skilful use of strings, positioning the violins high above the body of the piece and introducing the bold cello in the second section, is particularly noteworthy. His confidence in allowing the piece to unfold at a measured pace is masterful, resulting in a work that is both fresh and elegantly understated.
I, Elizabeth Walton, am honoured to nominate Richard Lawson for the Arts Music Award and wish him every success in his journey as a composer.
Nominee
Richard Lawson
Title of the work
On Love Lost Days
Performer
Acacia Quartet
Performance Date
16/10/2024
Venue
On Love Lost Days
The work is written as Ekphrastic interpretation of my poetic work 'On Love Lost Days' which was published in 2024.
Additionally, I note that this piece was featured in the ABC Limelight Art Music playlist on Spotify for January 2025, a significant achievement. There is also interest from various ABC Classic DJs who love the work and have recommended it to programming.
"On Love Lost Days" is a short, mesmerizing, and deeply poignant work based on a naïve yet arresting three-part invention. Written for a quartet, the piece is stripped back to an evocative and plaintive refrain, devastating in its expression of emotion for "a Love Lost Day."
The first section introduces the theme of loss with a faltering, deceptively humble set of three stringed passages, repeating once before resolving back to the beginning in a cyclical motion. This simplicity highlights the purity of the theme, evoking a sense of love lost and longing reminiscent of composers like Mahler and Debussy.
In the second section, the same chords persist, but the violins and viola introduce a rhythmic pulse that heightens the tension. The composer expands the instruments range, giving them a strident and commanding presence. This shift sets the stage for the dramatic and unexpected entrance of the solo cello. The cello, with its profound pathos and resemblance to the human voice, particularly in the tenor range, adds layers of grief and remorse. It weaves through arpeggios, engaging with the violins and viola in a sinewy yet muscular interplay. The section culminates in a climax that is slightly dissonant yet intensely dramatic, akin to a human scream of desperation.
The third and final section serves as the pièce de résistance, returning to the initial theme of measured, bowed chords. However, this time, the quartet reduces them to a barely audible whisperthe lingering voice after an emotional outpouring, the remnants of a scream. This stripped-down conclusion, with a softer approach and subtle dissonance, heightens the overall tension. The chords gradually fade, their energy spent, bringing the piece to a soft and gentle close.
Overall, this work demonstrates remarkable mastery and maturity in the use of repetition and simple chord patterns, particularly given Richard Lawsons newness to the classical world. As a self-taught composer with an impressive background in rock, ambient, and electronic music, this piece marks his debut classical work with the esteemed Acacia Quartet.
His skilful use of strings, positioning the violins high above the body of the piece and introducing the bold cello in the second section, is particularly noteworthy. His confidence in allowing the piece to unfold at a measured pace is masterful, resulting in a work that is both fresh and elegantly understated.
I, Elizabeth Walton, am honoured to nominate Richard Lawson for the Arts Music Award and wish him every success in his journey as a composer.