San Polyphony (1998)
for organ
Revised 1999; revised and expanded 2006
African Journal No 26
Dedicated to Gerrit Jordaan and Ere Lievonen
Commissioned by the National Arts Council of South Africa
Publisher: Bardic Edition
Score BDE 802
Available from Goodmusic Publishing
Duration: 20 minutes
Live Recording
Ere Lievonen https://soundcloud.com/user-132424808/san-polyphony-for-organ-19982007
Première
Preliminary version: First performance: Sunday 27 September 1998; Commemoration Church, Grahamstown, South Africa; Gerrit Jordaan organ
Further performances: 4 July 2000; New Music Indaba, Grahamstown, South Africa; Gerrit Jordaan organ
14 July 2000; Botrop, Germany; Gerrit Jordaan organ (German première)
Revised and expanded version, 2006: Friday 15 November 2019; Het Orgelpark, Amsterdam; Ere Lievonen Utopa organ (world premiére)
Further performances: 3 November 2025; St Michael at Cornhill, London; Herman Jordaan organ (UK premiere)
26 February 2006; University of Pretoria Chapel, South Africa; organ (South African premiere)
Programme note
The material is derived partly from vocal counterpoint of the San (Bushmen), transcribed by Nicholas England, and partly from Shona mbira music, some of which was transcribed by Andrew Tracey and some of which I transcribed. The first performance was given on 27 September 1998 in Commemoration Church, Grahamstown, South Africa by Gerrit Jordaan. The work was slightly revised in 1999 and performed in that version, by Gerrit Jordaan, at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown in July 2000. The original version lasted about 7 minutes. The present revised and expanded version was made in 2006, and first performed on 15 November 2019, in Het Orgelpark, Amsterdam, by Eri Lievonen.
for organ
Revised 1999; revised and expanded 2006
African Journal No 26
Dedicated to Gerrit Jordaan and Ere Lievonen
Commissioned by the National Arts Council of South Africa
Publisher: Bardic Edition
Score BDE 802
Available from Goodmusic Publishing
Duration: 20 minutes
Live Recording
Ere Lievonen https://soundcloud.com/user-132424808/san-polyphony-for-organ-19982007
Première
Preliminary version: First performance: Sunday 27 September 1998; Commemoration Church, Grahamstown, South Africa; Gerrit Jordaan organ
Further performances: 4 July 2000; New Music Indaba, Grahamstown, South Africa; Gerrit Jordaan organ
14 July 2000; Botrop, Germany; Gerrit Jordaan organ (German première)
Revised and expanded version, 2006: Friday 15 November 2019; Het Orgelpark, Amsterdam; Ere Lievonen Utopa organ (world premiére)
Further performances: 3 November 2025; St Michael at Cornhill, London; Herman Jordaan organ (UK premiere)
26 February 2006; University of Pretoria Chapel, South Africa; organ (South African premiere)
Programme note
The material is derived partly from vocal counterpoint of the San (Bushmen), transcribed by Nicholas England, and partly from Shona mbira music, some of which was transcribed by Andrew Tracey and some of which I transcribed. The first performance was given on 27 September 1998 in Commemoration Church, Grahamstown, South Africa by Gerrit Jordaan. The work was slightly revised in 1999 and performed in that version, by Gerrit Jordaan, at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown in July 2000. The original version lasted about 7 minutes. The present revised and expanded version was made in 2006, and first performed on 15 November 2019, in Het Orgelpark, Amsterdam, by Eri Lievonen.
