Performed by the Australian String Quartet
18 September 2020

String Quartet No. 1, affectionately titled “The Red Quartet”, was written as the major project in composer Lauren McCormick’s final year of her undergraduate degree. What began as a compositional exercise, designed by McCormick as a tentative exploration of unfamiliar musical structures such as quartal harmony and uneven phrase lengths, soon evolved into a passionate and emotional work, which is now the third movement of the quartet as it exists today.

The first movement is bright and spirited, reminiscent in part of a lively ballet in the distinctive lydian mode. Its energetic pace is almost frantic, seeming to come close to losing control as the melody is thrown around the quartet. The middle section of the movement evokes almost a Shostakovich-ian feeling, the chromaticism of the melody obscuring any suggestion of a secure mode. This chromaticism, paired with the steady pace of the harmonic accompaniment, creates an atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty, drawing the listener in before returning to the first theme for a dramatic finish.

This momentum is maintained throughout the second movement, which features rapid alterations between irregular time signatures in an almost aggressive nature. The chromaticism featured in the first movement is also continued, although in this new context its presence mocks and teases the listener, prancing jauntily across the quartet as it settles into a lilting 6/8. The conclusion of the second movement transitions directly into the beginning of the third which, although at a much more sombre pace than the previous movements, holds its own as a deeply passionate and mournful movement against its brisk and light-hearted predecessors. Its grave deliberation is melancholic and bittersweet, constantly hinting at something that remains just out of reach.

McCormick: String Quartet No. 1 "The Red Quartet"

"Little Ida's Flowers" is a children's ballet based on the story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen, adapted and composed by Lauren McCormick.

Little Ida's Flowers: A Children's Ballet

McCormick: String Quartet No. 1 "The Red Quartet" Mvt III

McCormick: String Quartet No. 1 "The Red Quartet" Mvt II

McCormick: String Quartet No. 1 "The Red Quartet" Mvt I

One Last Dusk was composed for the Elder Conservatorium Wind Orchestra in 2019, and was premiered in June that year.

One Last Dusk for Wind Orchestra

Hades & Persephone: A Conversation

Finale

Waltz for Tomorrow

Midnight March

Ethan's Song

The opening scene to "Little Ida's Flowers", a children's ballet written and composed by Lauren McCormick. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen short story of the same name, "Little Ida's Flowers" is a fantastical tale where flowers and toys come to life and dance through the night. In "Ida's Morning" our titular character wakes to the sound of her alarm, and goes about her chaotic morning routine with the help of her nanny.

Scored for double wind symphony orchestra.

(Scene) Ida's Morning

(Scene) A Lesson and A Story

Pas de Trois: Little Ida's Lullaby

Dance of the Daisies

Gavotte: Dance of the Courtiers

Fanfare: Entry of the King and Queen of the Roses

Pas De Deux

(Transition) The Tutor Arrives

The Ghost of Black Hill

"Summer Song" takes its text from the poem of the same name, written by English author Edith Nesbit, who is most notably known as the author of beloved children’s stories such as "The Railway Children" and "Five Children and It". The music itself presents a romantic and melancholic perspective on summertime as a reflection on the beauty of the season as it passes through the years. The rolling melodies carried on summer winds are juxtaposed with intimate moments of quiet reflection, knowing that this moment, too, will soon become a memory.

Premiered on 20 November 2022 as part of Anne Cawrse's ReClassified Festival, hosted by Recitals Australia. Performed by Cheryl Pickering (mezzo), Helen Ayres (violin), and Thomas Marlin (cello)

McCormick: "Summer Song" for Mezzo, Violin, and Cello (2022)

Pilgrimage to Patroclus

Ragdoll Ragtime

With my piece "A Touch of the Earth", I aim to pay homage to the unique beauty of the Australian landscape, as well as honour the richness and depth of the continuing relationship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with Country as the Traditional Custodians of the land. Touch of the Earth presents a juxtaposition of distinctive percussive rhythms drawn from the natural sounds of Australian wildlife—the sound of birdsong and small creatures moving through the underbrush—with rich, romantic harmonies representing the love held for the Country. 

Although this work is tonal, I avoided the use of distinctive cadences, with the absence of harmonic resolution at the conclusion of the piece implying that the musical narrative is not truly finished, just as the connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with the land is continuous and without end. 

"A Touch of the Earth" was composed for the 2022 Artology 'To Country' composition program.

Touch of the Earth

Waltz of the Sunflowers

The overture to "Little Ida's Flowers", a children's ballet written and composed by Lauren McCormick. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen short story of the same name, "Little Ida's Flowers" is a fantastical tale where flowers and toys come to life and dance through the night. 

Scored for double wind symphony orchestra.

Overture

Welcome to my SoundCloud! My name is Lauren McCormick and I'm an emerging composer from Adelaide, South Australia. I write for a variety of ensembles, both orchestral and chamber, in a Neo-Romantic melodically driven style. Please visit my website for further details about me, my work, commissions, and purchasing scores and parts.

Lauren McCormick

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks