Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIny34skXnQ&list=PLTva-j0LFSH3Vdq_nYdazDRxJxP2hrGtR

Quinkana, originally a one movement work, was composed during a four-week isolation period in Japan at the start of the 2020 Covid-19 outbreak. The work was to be premiered by the Aura Ensemble in Houston (U.S.A.) in April 2020 however, as with most public performances in 2020, the premiere was cancelled. With the extra time afforded me by the circumstances of the pandemic, I added two more movements to Quinkana to create a suite.

The work is inspired by the completely fascinating megafauna species that were native to the Australian continent until approximately 40 000 years ago. Enormous, ferocious, awe inspiring and terrifying; one cannot help but wonder what interactions these animals had with the original human inhabitants of this continent.

I- Quinkana: A crocodile-like predator that could grow to seven metres in length. Unlike modern crocodiles, Quinkana lived and hunted on land. II- Genyornis A flightless bird with tiny wings that grew to approximately two metres in height. III- Diprotodon A rhinoceros-sized wombat. The largest marsupial that ever existed, it could grow to two metres in height and three metres in length.

Scoring Flute/Piccolo Bb Clarinet Eb Baritone Saxophone Percussion (one player): Vibraslap, Xylophone, Hi-hats, Kick Drum, Snare Drum, Floor Tom, Susp. Cymbal, Tapping sticks (or mallet handles), Vibraphone. Violin Cello Piano