Duo Eclettico: Magic

Celebrating the magical, the ethereal, the demonic and the ‘other’.

Duo Eclettico’s performance in the Primrose Potter Salon celebrates the magical, the ethereal, the demonic, and the ‘other’, with works from South Africa and Australia. Hendrik Hofmeyr, arguably South Africa’s most celebrated living composer, is represented with Necromancer, a virtuosic yet beautifully colourful work evoking the magic of a necromancer, in Hofmeyr’s writing a symbol for LGBTIQ+ sexuality and attempted repression of this by traditional conservative forces.

Paired with Ross Edwards’ Full Moon Dances, in a stunning arrangement for saxophone, piano and percussion by Peter Neville. Edwards depicts the universal Moon Goddess incarnate, source of plant life and protector of the environment, performing a series of ritual healing ceremonies.

The recital culminates in the world premiere of Caerwen Martin’s major new work for soprano saxophone and piano, The Witch of Kings Cross, about a fascinating real-life figure – Rosaleen Norton – a poet, writer, artist, philosopher and ‘witch’, one of the most unique artists in Australia from the 1940s and 50s, whose work was banned and prohibited by the Australian government for its overt sexuality and focus on non-traditional beliefs. A revolutionary figure, Norton was arrested multiple times, her books and artwork publicly burned. She became known as ‘The Witch of Kings Cross’ and is a potent example of an artist whose individuality of spirit was consistently repressed by traditional forces in the conservative Australia of the 1940s and 50s.

Caerwen Martin’s new work, specifically composed for Duo Eclettico and this concert, is in several parts. One section acts as a descriptive musical depiction of Norton’s life and work. The other acts as a healing ‘spell’ for Norton, but also invites the audience to be immersed in this ritual and hopefully find aspects that can be healing for each listener themselves.