Each of the composers has written a programme note to accompany their Composeher work. Read about Jane’s piece, 14 Weeks, below.

14 Weeks sets a text by Australian poet, Judith Bishop. Her poem reflects upon the experience of the early stages of pregnancy, written from the point of view of a mother-to-be speaking to her developing baby.

By the time I found this poem I had already composed some melodic material. The challenge for me while I was searching for poetry was to find a text that fitted the rhythm and contour of my melody. I was also motivated to set a text that explored a strong female perspective.

A key idea that I explore musically, resonating with the text, is the concept of growth. I seek to do this particularly in terms of texture and form. Commencing from the point of a single note, voices gradually enter into the texture independently, women first, followed by men, repeating words and phrases derived from the poem (eg. ‘when you began’). The intention in doing this was to evoke the idea of fragility and vulnerability, but also the rapid and complex division of biological cells that are inherent to the growth of a foetus in utero. I also sought to create something that sounds resonant and immersive. To achieve this I drew significantly on elements of tonality, harnessing the resonance of consonant triads and familiar scale patterns from major and minor scales. Underpinning passages of unfolding organic growth is an element of tension which is produced through drone-like pedals sung by tenor and bass voices. Another feature is the superimposition of textures. The independent free repetition of short phrases is overlaid on voices singing together in rhythmic alignment, acknowledging the idea of an emergent, complex whole human being.