First performance by Natsuko Yoshimoto and James Cuddeford, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sydney, 23 October 2008
Reviews
The two movements of Andrew Ford's Lullaby and Fire Dance were composed four years apart, written for his violinist friend Tor Frømyhr. The lullaby scraped delicately yet confidently into being, its generous intentions made quite clear from the outset. Speaking in one voice, the violins were tethered by a shared purpose, echoing the sweeping lines. Traces of folk music lent the piece a more sonorous than somnolent feel, the lilting quality to the opening giving way to a vibrant, verdant middle, before a slower final passage, finally turning in for night, embracing gentle slumber. In stark contrast, 'Fire Dance' blazed straight out of the blocks, jigging and burning with irrepressible energy. There was a sense at times of duelling fiddles, closing out cheekily with a handful of slides down the strings, flaring and dispersing in a flash.
Benjamin Millar, Resonate