Programme notes

Lullabies for solo flute is a collection of seven short, original lullabies. These lullabies were originally composed for the hulusi, a free reed instrument with a gourd wind chest from China. This instrument has a very limited range of tones, which explains the simplicity of the lullabies and the use of modal scales. I had a student who plays the hulusi and I was fascinated by the colourful timbres of the instrument. We had several discussions about the instrument and she performed some of the sketches. However, we could not work through all of them due to her other commitments and consequently they were never performed. When George Fazakas heard these compositions, he requested that I adapt them for solo flute. The first performance of Lullabies for solo flute was by George Fazakas on 13 August 2019 at the South African Music Concert in Potchefstroom. He dedicated this performance to both his wife and the South African flute builder, Michael Botha.

Performances