Richard Charlton
Richard Charlton writes for the guitar with a player's knowledge of its colour and resonance. His music ranges from melodic waltzes and serenades to landscape suites that paint Australian skies, bushfire haze and bay-side dreams.
Surface Tension binds a toccata's opening idea into the ground of a closing passacaglia, a clean arc that sits naturally under the fingers. Capricorn Skies, written for the expanded guitar family, moves from the Southern Cross over black water through magenta sunsets and ashen bushfire light to an opal sky alive with birds. Dreams and Dances on Moreton Bay turns a Queensland folksong into warm, heartfelt variations. Elsewhere the pen finds room for Valses Melodique, a Serenade that sits easily with oboe, and dances that travel well to mandolin orchestra. The writing always serves the instrument's natural voice and its gift for colour.
Compositions by Richard Charlton appear on
Brolga Dances
The Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra presents contemporary Australian works written or arranged for mandolin and guitar, from landscape pieces and dances to chamber textures across the ensemble’s distinctive plucked sound.
A Sympathetic Resonance
Peter Constant presents classical guitar works by Australian composers, joined by Marion Schaap on guitar, Mardi McSullea on flute and Helen Noonan, soprano.