A well-timed commission can be career defining for a composer, offering the three things that are most needed for one’s personal and professional development: time, money, and the opportunity to be heard. Commissions themselves can be few and far between, so the chance to hear a collection of new works in one concert is a cause for celebration. The curation and logistical ordering of works can be a challenge, and throw up several questions for consideration: how to arrange a disparate program so it appears cohesive? If the underlying commissioning theme is Australian female voices, how does one capture a uniquely Australian, female voice without leaving anyone out of the conversation?

Alicia Crossley

Alicia Crossley. Photo © Laura Manariti.

Recorder virtuoso Alicia Crossley, whose Bass Instincts project first appeared as a recording project, presented her thoughtful collection of newly-commissioned works for bass recorder at the Melbourne Recital Centre Salon on 10 April. The composers, a selection of some of the country’s finest voices, included Holly Harrison, Alice Chance, Anne Boyd, Fiona Hill, Lisa Cheney, Amanda Cole and Jessica Wells. The list, while impressive, disappointed in its...