ear buds (2024)
for flute and percussion
Commissioned by 2023 APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund
DREAM SEQUENCE premiered by Ensemble Offspring (Claire Edwardes & Lamorna Nightingale)
PLAYBOOK premiered by iipm project (Phoebe Bognár & Mikołaj Rytowski)
DREAM SEQUENCE (2024)
for Claire Edwardes & Lamorna Nightingale
Dream Sequence is part of a larger collection of works-in-progress titled ear buds. ear buds is a suite of five works, each composed in collaboration with a different flute and percussion duo from around the world. In composing this suite, I’m interested in the way the unique artistic personalities of each duo can influence and be incorporated into the work’s character and direction.
Among the various duos contributing to this project…I have known Claire and Lamorna the longest! The first piece I wrote for Claire was part of a first year percussion workshop and featured a set-up of objects bought from a second-hand shop (thereafter objects became an important part of my work!). My first commission outside of my undergraduate studies was for Ensemble Offspring’s Sizzle where I remember particularly loving the theatre and playfulness Lamorna brought to her solo (thereafter the theatre of performance become an important part of my work!). Earlier this year, I sat down with Claire and Lamorna to discuss the project and their longstanding creative friendship. Dream Sequence draws on this conversation, the music and other memories I have had the privilege of sharing with them. With a playground of sounds and an episodic structure that is reminiscent of the fragmented nature of dreams, Dream Sequence encapsulates the multitude of music and moments shared by the duo.
An important side note: along with the glockenspiel, Claire’s set-up incorporates 2 nano bug cat toys, some cat bells and bowls. This set-up is dedicated to Claire’s cat Louis and Lamorna’s cat Ligeti (even though I’m allergic to cats!).
“The highlight of the night was the world premiere of Dream Sequence by Sydney-based composer Elizabeth Jigalin... Jigalin’s familiarity with Nightingale and Edwardes meant that this work was written with their versatility as performers in mind, and their performance certainly confirmed this. The work captured the surreal impression of dream sequences in old silent films, with constantly morphing melodies and textures that all unfolded from a simple flute and glockenspiel opening gesture... Dream Sequence explored musical extremes with louder moments of tension and quieter ones of reflection, offering the audience a delightfully dizzying, dreamlike experience.”
Avant Gardens I - An intimate performance of eclectic soundworlds (2024) review by Isabella Rahme, published by ClassikON
PLAYBOOK (2024)
for Phoebe Bognár & Mikołaj Rytowski