Griffin, F :: Drying land, dying land?

In Australia, and in many other parts of the world, drought, dust storms, floods and fires are normal features of the weather. The land has always recovered. However in recent decades we have seen more frequent occurrences of these natural disasters, along with increased severity.

How long will the natural resilience of our world last?

Have we passed that point already?

The duration of this piece is 11 minutes. Instrumentation includes all players on multiple instruments.

Fran Griffin began life as a flute player, studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia, with renowned teachers Margaret Crawford and Michael Scott. Although she had been composing since the age of seven, while at the Conservatorium in the 1970s, she put aside composition in favour of an interest in early music performance practice, studying baroque flute and recorder with Howard Oberg. After a number of years working as a freelance musician, she returned to study, completing M.Sc. (hons) in mathematics at Macquarie University, Sydney in 1999. Here she remained on staff until 2012, when she left Sydney to live in country New South Wales. Here she has renewed her previous life as a musician, teaching flute, clarinet and bassoon and performing once again with early music ensemble Nouvelles Reflexions and flute quartet Eclectix. Fran has renewed her interest in composition, producing many arrangements and original works for students and for community concert bands and choir. Her serious compositions include arrangements and new works for flute quartet, flute duo, and other chamber combinations with flute, choir and symphonic wind band.