BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Alice and Alex at the Independent Theatre.
Nice ring to it, right?
These like-minded Sydney composers are set to host a concert honouring their very names, and featuring their new compositions as performed by young instrumentalists of the Geist Quartet, soprano Chloe Lankshear, and pianist Benjamin Burton.
We’ve had a chat with Alice Chance, 24, in the past; you might even remember reading about her composition with the Luminescence Chamber Singers, her own musical Just a Second, or perhaps you’ve even performed some of her music yourself (if you have, you’d be in good company along with the Sydney Children’s Choir, Australian Youth Choir, and Sydney Youth Orchestras, who have, too).
So in this interview, we’re excited to shine the spotlight on Alex Palmer, 26, who has composed for the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Budapest Arts Orchestra, London Session Orchestra, and for theatre and film projects in between.
In this interview, we chat with Alex about his upcoming concert Alice and Alex this October 20, his identity as a composer, and why it’s important for all composers to be represented on a level playing field.
Alex, thanks for the chat! How have things been going in the lead-up to Alice and Alex at the Independent?
Things have been going really swimmingly. As young musicians ourselves, Alice and I are thrilled to have an ensemble of other fresh faces performing our music. However, we haven’t just written the music for the concert, we’ve also done all the planning when it comes to the venue and our musicians, which is definitely the part that comes less naturally to us I think!
Nevertheless, we are both strong believers in making your own opportunities and supporting young musicians like us, so hopefully we’re managing OK on that front so far.
So the concert is dedicated to you and Alice Chance – how exciting! How did you come to start working together?
Actually, for a long time, I think Alice and I were that classic story of two people running in the same circles, with a lot of friends in common, but somehow just not colliding. And at some point we just decided via social media that we needed to just end that ourselves! Given that we are so similar in our stories and our passions, working together was a natural step. And this is our first project together, and has been the start of a great friendship, too!
As musicians, chemistry is so important when it comes to performance. But how would you describe the chemistry that happens between two like-minded composers?
I would say we are fairly like-minded and it was a pretty easy fit between myself and Alice. The life of a composer is so distinct, with all the joy and uncertainty that sort of go side-by-side, that I think when someone else has had similar experiences, the click is pretty natural.
We tend to anticipate the same things and have the same approaches to solving problems, but my music and her music still have unique voices. I think Alice’s music is more quirky and adventurous, and mine is a little more staid and crisp. It’s a good mix really.
Did you compose any works together, or are they all independent?
For this program, we devised a kind of alternating order, which means we flick back and forth between works by myself and Alice throughout the show. As a result, they’re sort of independent but the overall flow of the show has been tailored pretty tightly to the way our works fit in with one another.
In this particular case, I think we’ve developed a way of showing off the contrast in our works more than anything. As well as the stylistic differences, Alice’s works feature more of our singer Chloe Lankshear, as Alice has a strong history in working with singers; and mine are more focused on the strings, which reflects my background as a cellist.
You’ve personally composed for some pretty established orchestras in the past, among film and theatre shows, too. What have you learnt about your own identity as a composer through the process?
I have written for quite a wide range of ensembles, and I think more than anything this has taught me that musically I’m a chameleon.
For film and theatre particularly, the music is a single aspect of an interlocking fabric of so many other things, thus the composer rarely gets total freedom in their work. In a way, I like this, because it guides me and helps craft a finished product in which the overall package is made better by the music rather than competing with it. And in a concert like our upcoming one, where there is actually total freedom, I tend to use stories and poems as a guide as well!
For me, it’s all about telling a story, and adapting your work to whatever that story is.
This program celebrates the work of “Alice and Alex” – and, in the process, represents equality of gender as composers. As a male composer, what do you enjoy about working on a level and equal playing field with a fellow female composer?
First of all, I think it’s really important to say that female composers are vastly underrepresented in the industry, and for me that’s a really critical area where there’s still a lot of progress that has to happen in the community. We are seeing some promising signs, but we still have a long way to come. So working with a female composer like Alice is a way for me to show support for female composers and try to, as you say, bring a slice of gender equality to the stage. And while I’ve learned a lot by engaging with Alice and her music, I think every composer is capable of a unique voice and a powerful contribution regardless of their gender. Working on an equal playing field should be the norm.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about the upcoming event?
Just that, in my experience, what we’re trying to do – which is an initiative in the classical/instrumental/chamber music world that’s created by young people and aimed at young people – is rarer than it should be. Obviously, all audience members are welcome, and we’re hoping for some enthusiastic parental support. But I think it’s important that young audiences come to performances by young musicians. Classical music isn’t just for a certain generation, and no one of my age that I know has ever regretted coming to a performance, especially when there are new works on the program.
See Alice and Alex at 8pm October 20 in the Independent Theatre, North Sydney.
Shout the writer a coffee?
[purchase_link id=”12246″ style=”button” color=”red” text=”Pay what you like”]
If you like, you can give thanks to Stephanie for volunteering her time for Australian arts journalism. No amount too much or little.
Image supplied.
Pay what you like securely with PayPal. We protect your personal information.
