Life in a Day
for flute and piano (2008)
duration: 8’
GRT • 140
score available from
Australian Music Centre
program note
Life in a Day was originally commissioned by Riley Lee for the 2008 World Shakuhachi Festival (Sydney), with assistance from the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts. The original version (for shakuhachi and harp) exploits the natural tuning of the shakuhachi but also seeks to re–contextualise its cultural association through the influence of contemporary jazz and lounge styles. In this version both flute and piano feature separately but are often closely interwoven. The music is at turns elated and introspective but ultimately assumes a sense of urgency as the end nears.