After a year of trying to organise rehearsals and recording in the midst of Covid lockdowns, we finally managed to get it done! This piece was written for my partner at our 2 year anniversary, and I'm so glad that we were finally able to bring it to life. I am incredibly grateful to all of my performers for the amount of time they put in to putting this together despite numerous challenges, and am especially grateful to Nick Lazzara and Daniel Parr for mixing/recording the piece as well!

In this recording, the performers are:

Flute - Zoe Grundy
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet - Jay Sun
Alto/Bari Sax - Ben Singh
Piano - Amy Broeksteeg
Guitar - Amber Barbie
Bass Guitar - Nick Lazzara
Violin 1 - Alice Arakane
Violin 2 - Noa Abrahams
Viola - Seb Coyne
Cello - Chiara Kelle

I cannot thank you all enough! Special thanks also to Sean Quinn and Mira Stephens for helping early on, as well as John Collins for allowing me to record at my old school.

That Which Is

Movement 5 from 'Dance Suite' for Viola and Piano :)

Gigue

The second of three poems by Libby Hart I've adapted for Tenor and string quartet. Hopefully a live version coming soon!

Text (written by Libby Hart):

Burn and bend. Cloud and cloud-mountain.
A snow-scatter of sheep.

Bird scramble above the scribble of tree.

I then turned to the wet-lipped god,
as if to greet you.

His gale-force words stormed through me.

And my heart did flicker.
And my heart did yowl.

Three Burning Songs - II. Kinbrace

The third of three poems by Libby Hart I've adapted for Tenor and string quartet. Hopefully a live version coming soon!

Text (written by Libby Hart):

And when I say, his country,
I mean the sweet, sad earth of line and skin.
Track of bone, of limb.
His country is calling me.

And when I say, his country,
I mean that haunt of eyes, cliff of smile.
Lea of uncut hair.
I mean that wen of heart. That knoll of soul.

I mean blood roar. I mean lush beat.
Each hammer and drum.
Its heat - a trance, a spell.

Three Burning Songs - III. His country is calling me

The first of three poems by Libby Hart I've adapted for Tenor and string quartet. Hopefully a live version coming soon!

Text (written by Libby Hart):

I am one fire chasing another,
and I have gone burning to meet him.

The same loneliness that closes us,
opens us again.

Our mouths full of ashes,
our mouths full of fresh fire/

Here, is where you should touch me.
And here. And here, and here.

Hands are unbearably beautiful.
They hold on to things. They let things go.

Three Burning Songs - I. Meet me in the love-burned orchard

The second movement of my collection of solo piano works, known as the 'Memories Suite'. Performed by me and recorded at my school. Enjoy!

Copyright 2016 J. van de Ven

Memories

The fifth movement of my 'Memories Suite' for solo piano. Recorded at my home. Enjoy!

Copyright 2016 J. van de Ven

Photographs

My first major full-scale orchestral work!

Be aware that there are some issues with the midi playback that don't come out correctly, but hopefully I can get this performed soon!

Rhapsody for Orchestra

A piece I've written to be played as a concert opener with my youth orchestra!!!

Epic Lego Man - Prologue for Orchestra

An orchestrated version of a friend's grandfather's melody completed for his 80th birthday!

Where Have You Gone?

My fanfare written for the 2017 Artology Fanfare Competition and recorded by the Australian Youth Orchestra!

Fanfare for the Modern World

Performed by the amazing Kate Pengelly and Amy Broeksteeg.

Dedicated to Alan and Kellie Hull on their wedding day.

Sway

An aspiring teenage composer from Melbourne, specialising in orchestral, chamber, and solo contemporary classical composition.

Josh van de Ven

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