Work
Five Vignettes of Women
for flute and SSA choir
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About
Five Vignettes of Women was commissioned in December 1987 by Christchurch flautist, Rebecca Steel, and was first performed by her in April 1988 with a women's choir conducted by the composer. Each work has a subtitle and the texts are taken from the writings of the subject of each song: Virginia Woolf, Olivia Spencer-Brown, Robin Hyde, Fanny Buss and Katherine Mansfield.
Commissioned note
Commissioned by Rebecca Steel
Contents note
Five movements:
- Virginia (five hundred pounds and a room of one's own)
- Olivia (Spinners and weavers)
- Robin (White irises)
- Fanny Buss
- Katherine ('But isn't it extraordinary that under his sweet, joyful, little singing it was just this - sadness? - Ah, what is it? - that I heard?)
Epilogue (A joining of women's hands)
Text note
Text by Virginia Woolf; Olivia Spencer-Brown; Robin Hyde; Fanny Buss; Katherine Mansfield (from 'The Canary')
Performance history
27 Apr 1987: Performed by Rebecca Steel (flute) and Rosalind Salas (soprano) with a women's chorus conducted by Dorothy Buchanan
20 May 2018: Shakespeare's Sister
Performed by Bel Canto (Burnside High School) conducted by Jean Cumming
Performed by Bel Canto (Burnside High School, Christchurch) at The Big Sing 2005 Finale, directed by Susan Densem
Performed by Con Brio at the BIG SING National Finale '09 Dunedin Town Hall
Performed by Craighead Chorale at the BIG SING National Finale '09, Dunedin Town Hall