Commissioned by the University of New South Wales for the Australia Ensemble
First performance by the Australia Ensemble, Sir John Clancy Auditorium, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 18 October 2003
Reviews
The first movement [of Chamber Concerto No 4 taps] Ford's English roots with a Chacony, evoking Purcell and Britten. Starting with a simple minor cello chord, reminiscent of English lute music and quietly spreading to the rest of the ensemble, it slowly became more manic before a sudden return. The second movement (untitled except for its metronome speed) explored the grooves of more recent dance styles with unison melodies striding the full pitch range of the ensemble with attitudinal angularity. This movement also rose to a manic climax before ending quietly with a single plucked cello note which (rather like Liszt's piano sonata) says it all.
Peter McCallum, The Sydney Morning Herald
The elaborate Chamber Concerto No 4 for flute, clarinet, string quartet . . . makes use of strict composing techniques in its two movements, the first of which, 'Chacony', is full of atmosphere, as though inspired by the habit of contemplating immense - and, for us, exotic - natural landscapes.
Fulvia Conter, Giornale di Brescia, Italy