Shoalhaven
Like the Shoalhaven Philharmonic Society, the amateur orchestra for whom it was composed in 1983, Shoalhaven takes its name from the Shoalhaven River which rises in the Great Dividing Range south of Kangaroo Valley and, passing north of Nowra, flows to the sea across the narrow coastal plain. From the mountains to the sea, this is another place that is rich in associations for myself and my family.
The shape of the piece is a traditional ABA1, the middle section being a blues that pays more than a passing tribute to the memory of my very dear friend, Don Banks. It lasts 16 minutes. It exists in two versions, the original for small orchestra and a larger version made for a youth orchestra.
DL, 1987.