Matthew Hindson

Photo from sxc.hu

Waiting for Rain is the name of a new work for Orff ensemble commissioned by the Australian National Council of Orff Schulwerk (ANCOS). It will be premiered at the ANCOS 2006 National Conference to be held at North Sydney.

Australia is a dry continent - and at time of writing, we are experiencing a severe drought, not long after another one a year or so previously. The airwaves are filled with images of hardship combined with ideas for the preservation of that most precious resource, water.

This eight-minute composition evokes images of aridity and vain hope: after a sparse opening and a song to the heavens, a storm passes overhead promising much but delivering little. Will the rain ever arrive?

It was interesting writing for Orff ensemble as its main pitched instruments, i.e. metallophones and xylophones, are not used as extensively in orchestral situations as other pitched percussion instrument. The instruments are diatonically constructed, meaning that they do not have the range of possible notes as, for example, the piano or even the vibraphone. Also of much interest is the fact that the students will be learning this piece aurally - not reading the music at all.

Waiting for Rain will be set to dance, and this is also a tremendously intriguing aspect to the performance. My music has been choreographed five times to date (that I know of), from individual pieces to full-length ballets. Not being a visual person, it is always pleasantly surprising to see musical ideas completely re-interpreted into another medium!