Opening up a new score can be a moment of mixed emotions, especially when you get handed 5 off the bat. It’s a conflict of excitement - tempered by a dawning sense of responsibility to ‘get it right’ for the composer’s sake (and not just because he or she is standing behind you!) - together with a sense of freedom from preparing and rehearsing something that is not ‘house’ repertoire. Of course there is a tremendous responsibility with all scores including the so-called mainstream or standard repertoire, especially when preparing these works for school or youth orchestras. Fundamentally however it is page to page voyage of discovery with a new work that appeals most. Within this domain we are all explorers in the vehicle that is one of mankind’s greatest inventions; the symphony orchestra.

I write this having now briefly scanned through each work twice, such as they exist as most of these are drafts, except for Marks piece, The theatre of the deaf, that seams ready to go. This is the third week in August and with 19 different works to conduct in the fortnight around the ACOF week in mid October, the remaining complete and final scores can’t come soon enough! (He hinted).

One thing that is immediate from the second year of this ACOF group is that even in draft form all the scores appear ‘cleaner’, more direct and less convoluted than the first year compositions. Mark’s Broadband from that previous year was a rewarding challenge of a work for which the available rehearsal time couldn’t fully do justice. I should say at this point that we will adopt the same rehearsal process this year; that is each work will receive the equal amount of rehearsal time, irrespective of the content. Unlike the other candidates Mark’s score arrives without additional explanatory information as if to suggest; it’s all there in the score, what more do you need? An intellectual score form an equally intellectual composer, of there is no doubt.

In spite of being involved with ACOF I have had to resist the temptation to offer opportunities to either of the four second year ‘finalists’ (Chris, you’ll have to bear with me just for the moment) and Toby is no exception. His artistry is in his pen! A quirky, spiky grace of style that merges with the sound world he creates. One margin of score is replete with quotes from the varied likes of Dylan Thomas and Confucius...

One of the challenging aspects of Damian’s first year work, Curlicues for Orchestra was the (initially) simple looking opening 5 bars. Seeing the title of the longer work for this year, Elastic Horizons, I immediately looked for and hoped that our previous experience had been developed upon! This year’s work is pregnant with experience and addresses textural and balancing issues as the composer himself suggest. After reading, ‘to be continued’ on the 35th page I wonder just how long he intends the final work to be!

With regard to the content over rehearsal ratio Freeman’s first year work, Groundswell probably resulted in the most successful performance, even if it was an ever so slightly indulgent rendition on my part – sorry about that Freeman! I am told that he has been inundated with projects this year, hence the brief, hieroglyphic nature of the sketches that smother the draft score. I look forward to another equally successful score entitled, Break.

I am delighted to see the inclusion of Chris Watson from New Zealand in this part of the ACOF programme. I am sure his participation will also prove a vital and mutually positive experience and I have no doubt that the other four musketeers will welcome him to the fray.

As a programme, ACOF is deserving of the highest accolades. Its track record of nurturing talent is second to none and I am delighted to say that many have been performed as part of the new music activities in Kuala Lumpur with the MPO. Indeed it’s due to the success of ACOF that we in KL have copied it with the MPO Forum for Malaysian Composers kicking off this August. (See dfpmpo.com and click on Encounter in the MPO section for an application form – if you are Malaysian). This two-year programme will culminate in a biennial competition for international composers to take place in October 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, so do keep an eye out for that.

One final note; as a former percussionist with the Bournemouth Symphony I would just like to comment on the wholly professional and enthusiastic manner in which WASO has fostered ACOF and adopted these composers. For an organisation to set time aside in a busy schedule and perform with the commitment and dedication we experienced last year, especially during that week in September, is to the benefit of the composers involved now and in the future. I look forward to more of the same this October!

Kevin Field
Associate Conductor, Malaysian Philharmonic