for orchestra

Ross Edwards

I: Sereno

II: Animato

Composed especially for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's 1995 European tour, Enyato III is an overture in two movements.

The generic title Enyato is extracted from Edwards' maninya text, an arbitrary nonsense poem dating from 1981, which has had a formative influence on much of his instrumental and vocal music. Through their musical associations , the 'words' maninya and enyato have acquired the meanings 'dance/chant' and 'dualism' respectively.

An ostensibly straightforward piece, Enyato III, like Edwards' other works in his maninya style - and in contrast with his austere sacred style - presents an immediately attractive surface to the listener. The first movement is hymn-like, cast in mediaeval European modality tempered by South East Asian inflections; the second , a joyful dance whose ethos is distinctly antipodean and specifically aligned with that of the Sydney School in its subtle interfusion of pentatonic modes and sparkling cross rhythms.

Enyato III was commissioned by Eva Griffith in memory of Heinz Harant.