Cosmic Dawn

Cosmic Dawn is a dramatic work for flute orchestra, beginning in a dark, primordial sound-world before exploding into a super-rhythmic, angular groove.

The piece was first performed at the Australian Flute Festival in Brisbane in July 2017. Its opening is slow, moody and deliberately ritualistic: a dark low-flute melody emerges against atmospheric jet-whistle effects, gradually establishing the sound-world from which the rest of the piece grows.

What follows is something altogether more energetic. The music develops into a strongly rhythmic, angular groove designed to be as exciting for the players as it is for the audience, before building towards a final section containing some of the richest and most complex flute-orchestra writing I had written at that point.

Like much of my ensemble music, Cosmic Dawn is deliberately written so that players of different technical levels can contribute meaningfully to the same performance. Every player should feel engaged and stretched, but nobody should ever feel overwhelmed. The more accessible parts are still musically important, while the advanced players are given the technical and ensemble responsibility to really push the piece forward.

Quick details

• Flute orchestra

• Four concert-flute parts at deliberately different levels

• Flutes 1 & 2: Advanced

• Flutes 3 & 4: Intermediate

• Alto Flute

• Bass Flute

• Optional Contrabass Flute

• Atmospheric and ritualistic opening

• Jet-whistle effects, residual tone, harmonic bursts, explosive articulation

• Strongly rhythmic, angular central material

• Rich, multi-layered flute-orchestra writing

• Particularly suited to established school, university, community and festival flute orchestras

• Printed score purchasers can request complimentary PDF individual flute parts

Instrumentation & player levels

• Flute 1
  Advanced – Advanced High School / Pre-College

• Flute 2
  Advanced – Advanced High School / Pre-College

• Flute 3
  Intermediate – Strong Middle School

• Flute 4
  Intermediate – Strong Middle School

• Alto Flute
  Upper Intermediate to Advanced
  One part, with two players preferred

• Bass Flute
  Upper Intermediate to Advanced

• Contrabass Flute, optional
  Advanced

The four concert-flute parts are intentionally divided between two more demanding parts and two more accessible ones. This allows strong advanced players to be challenged while giving intermediate players material that remains musically engaging without becoming overwhelming.

The Alto and Bass Flute parts require confident low-flute players. A Contrabass Flute may also be used, adding further depth and weight to the lower end of the ensemble.

The musical journey

The opening of Cosmic Dawn is deliberately spacious and atmospheric. A dark low-flute melody sets the scene, accompanied by jet whistles and an almost ritualistic texture.

From this primordial beginning, the music gradually transforms into a rhythmic and angular groove, changing the energy of the piece completely.

As the work develops, the ensemble writing becomes increasingly rich and layered, culminating in a final stretch which represented some of the most complex flute-orchestra writing I had undertaken when the piece was composed.

The contrast between these two worlds is central to the piece: darkness and space giving way to rhythm, movement and energy.

Printed score + complimentary PDF parts

If you purchase the printed score, you can also request a complimentary PDF set of the individual flute parts during checkout.

These are provided to save conductors and ensemble directors the need to photocopy individual parts from the printed score.

Frequently asked questions

What level is Cosmic Dawn?
The ensemble is deliberately mixed-level. Flutes 1 and 2 are Advanced, while Flutes 3 and 4 are Intermediate. The low-flute parts are best suited to confident Upper Intermediate to Advanced players.

Do I need Alto and Bass Flutes?
Yes. Alto and Bass Flute are part of the core instrumentation of Cosmic Dawn. The existing scoring calls for one Alto Flute part, ideally played by two players, together with Bass Flute.

Do I need a Contrabass Flute?
No. Contrabass Flute is optional. It can be used to add additional depth and power to the low-flute writing, but it is not essential to perform the piece.

Does Cosmic Dawn use extended flute techniques?
Yes. The atmospheric opening includes jet-whistle effects, helping to create the dark, primordial character of the beginning. Also residual tone, harmonic bursts and explosive articulation.

Is this a mixed-ability flute orchestra work?
Yes, although it is aimed at a stronger ensemble overall than something such as The Flutewise Theme!. The concert-flute writing deliberately gives the two advanced parts greater technical demands while keeping Flutes 3 and 4 at a more accessible Intermediate level.

What is the character of the piece?
It begins slow, dark, atmospheric and ritualistic, before transforming into something highly rhythmic, energetic and angular. The final part of the work builds towards much richer and more complex ensemble writing.

Are individual PDF parts available with the printed score?
Yes. Purchasers of the printed score can request complimentary PDF individual flute parts when ordering.