Light–Song: Concert 1

Presented in association with Adelaide Festival

Generously supported by Mary Lou Simpson OAM and the Miriam Hyde Circle

Program

Charlotte Bray A Dark Doorway [Australian Premiere]

Nina Shekhar Lumina [Australian Premiere]

Liza Lim Bioluminescence
Kim Falconer, Flute

Olivia Bettina Davies White Walls

Cathy Milliken Catalogue of Sky

Today’s concert has a special significance as we acknowledge the recent passing of Sofia Gubaidulina. A visionary composer, her bold and deeply expressive language reshaped contemporary music.
The ASO dedicates Light–Song to her memory.
Vale Sofia Gubaidulina (24 October 1931 – 13 March 2025).

An introduction from Curator, Cathy Milliken

Curating these two contemporary music concerts for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at the Adelaide Festival 2025 has been an exciting and deeply personal journey. As a composer myself, I approach curation much like composition—seeking balance, contrast, and a narrative that invites listeners into a world of sound and meaning. 

The first concert, Light, explores the interplay between illumination and shadow. Light cannot exist without darkness, just as Shakespeare so beautifully expresses in Sonnet 43: “When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see.” This program embraces that duality, showcasing music that shimmers, flickers, and reveals its brilliance against moments of depth and introspection. 

The second concert, Song, celebrates the joy of melody and storytelling in its many forms. Birdsong, myths and legends, and the gentle hum of voices in a village square all weave through the program, highlighting music that sings—sometimes literally, sometimes with rhythm, sometimes through lyrical instrumental writing. It seems elemental to consider how song elevates our communication whether in community folksong, in concert or by listening to song in nature. While my curation brief was to present works solely by women composers, I want to emphasize that the field is vibrant and expansive. There is so much more extraordinary music by women to discover, and the richness of these programs is a testament to that. I am honored to include my own work alongside pieces by esteemed composers whose music I deeply admire. It is both humbling and thrilling to share these works with audiences, and I hope that through these concerts, listeners will find both light and song resonating in new and unexpected ways.

Program Note

The interaction between light and dark exists in the physical world, but these qualities may also symbolise our innermost thoughts. We flee or face the darkness; we surround ourselves with light. Cathy Milliken has curated a concert program that acknowledges and ventures beyond our preconceptions of these two extremes. This event shows us how our view becomes shaped by what is illuminated, and what is obscured. In doing so, it shines a dazzling light on music that was historically placed in the shadows: compositions by women.

Charlotte Bray is a British composer who was moved by the heroism of a grieving mother. Bray’s 2023 work A Dark Doorway tells the story of Diane Foley whose son James, a journalist, was captured and executed by ISIS. But the story doesn’t end there. Foley chose to face the darkness and meet the man who murdered her son. Bray intended to write music that would convey a mother’s yearning for her child, and the momentum of burgeoning hope. The work is dedicated to Foley.

Nina Shekhar’s Lumina is thoughtfully placed in a concert about the many qualities of light. Strings bend and warp our perspectives, then through a slow-building crescendo, we encounter a brilliant flash of light. Lumina flows in and out of these musical shades just as we might venture in and out of the shadows – feeling content under the sun, and tentative to turn a dimly lit corner. While Shekhar is a composer, she is also a multi-instrumentalist whose intimate knowledge of orchestral colour shines in this piece from 2020.

Bioluminescence is a natural phenomenon that makes a river sparkle under the night sky, and gives fireflies a magical glow. From jellyfish to plankton, creatures use illumination for survival. They create a beautiful distraction to escape danger; they captivate their mates with radiant light. This sense of wonder appears in Liza Lim’s 2019 piece Bioluminescence, and we grow mesmerised by the glistening sounds of a solo flute. The musician flutters through a range of complex and impressive techniques. On her score, the Australian composer instructs a ‘breathy’ expression, and draws diagrams of the ‘resultant sound’ that will emerge from the notes on the page. Does this lone instrument warn us of danger, or perform a display of beauty?

It was the absence of imagery that inspired Australian composer Olivia Bettina Davies to compose White Walls. The 2017 piece appears to focus on texture over melody; individual sounds over pleasing cohesion. If you experience a visceral reaction to this work, you may be in tune with what the composer had imagined when she approached its creation. Davies gave thought to organic sounds that come from within the body, and from other sources beyond music. Her piece shifts through an apprehensive introduction before reaching its chilling climax. Davies has written about the influence of John Cage on White Walls, and the American composer’s work 4’33’’ epitomises the ambiguity of sound as music.

This concert concludes with a piece from the series’ curator. Milliken’s 2022 Catalogue of Sky is reminiscent of poetry, with inspiration drawn from the writings of Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi, and Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke. Such artists philosophised about how the sky – whether shining under the sun, or touched with an imperfect swirl of clouds – can symbolise the human experience.

Catalogue of Sky continues this tradition, with Milliken projecting an optimism that we may all live in harmony under the sky. Her work alludes to a folk song from Ukrainian composer Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych, which in English is known as Carol of the Bells and sings of joy for every household. In her writings about Catalogue of Sky, Milliken also recalls Psalm 121: ‘I to the hills will lift mine eyes.’

–  Stephanie Eslake, 2025

Artists

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

We acknowledge that the land we make music on is the traditional country of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains. We pay respect to Elders past and present and recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land. We acknowledge that this is of continuing importance to the Kaurna people living today. We extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are with us for this performance today.