02: Getting a Commission

In January 1998 I contacted Robert Johnson to see if he would like me to write him a horn concerto. It was really rather cheeky of me as I was entirely unknown in the concert world and virtually unknown in the film world.

I had made a bit of a name for myself in Sydney and Melbourne as an orchestrator of other composer’s music for film and advertising. My aim was always to do my own projects but until a break came my way I felt I was at least practising my craft and working with the best musicians in Sydney. I had composed for a number of shorter films, the low-budget feature, Sanctuary, and the telemovie, This Time, Next Time, almost all of which were directed by my wife, but it wasn’t until 1997 that my break came in the form of Moby Dick, a US mini-series that was shot in Australia.

This dark, obsessive adventure on the high seas called for a virile score that made full use of all instruments of the orchestra and it was hearing Robert playing the horn solos so beautifully that put the idea of a concerto into my mind.

Here’s a solo from near the end of the picture:

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and Rob leading the section horns on these high concert D trills:

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So, taking a deep breath, I contacted Robert Johnson, principal horn of the Sydney Symphony. He had played on a lot of my orchestrations prior to Moby Dick, so I guess he had some sort of idea of what he was in for. To my great excitement he agreed to take it on.

Let’s face it, it is quite difficult for even an established Australian composer to get orchestral performances. There are only six symphony orchestras in the country and each tends to perform just a small number of Australian works in a season, and that’s including performances of pre-existing works.

But when I approached the Sydney Symphony they expressed interest in the concerto. It seems that good reports had filtered through from the Moby Dick sessions. However, hey needed to find the right slot in their concert schedule and, more difficult, raise the commission fee.

In the meantime the orchestra asked me to arrange about thirty minutes of Broadway songs “symphonically” for a concert with Judi Connelli in 1999 and commissioned Peace On Earth for Gondwana Voices and orchestra in 2001 which has had a number of repeat performances. We also discussed my arranging of an entire concert for Paul Mac with the orchestra but unfortunately there were scheduling difficulties and the concert never eventuated. I still have two completed arrangements lying in a box somewhere. Then there was an extended arrangement of Handel’s Joy to the World, again for children’s choir and orchestra in 2002.

The horn concerto was mentioned from time to time but a commission never eventuated. During this time Robert Johnson became Head of Brass at the Sydney Conservatorium in addition to his gig with the orchestra and consequently wasn’t available to play on the film scores that I composed during this period. Wonderful players like Geoff Collinson
(On the Beach: Melbourne Decays) and Ben Jacks (When Good Ghouls Go Bad: Dance of the Ghouls - excerpt) were in the first horn chair. Ben is now principal horn of the Sydney Symphony along with Rob.

In 2002, with the possibility of the horn concerto slipping away and desperately wanting an orchestral commission, I was discussing the possibility of a concerto with Chris Harris, principle bass trombone with the Sydney Symphony. He not only wanted to do it but the orchestra did too. The commission came through in May 2003 while I was in Los Angeles scoring Master and Commander. The performance of Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra was in October 2004 at the Sydney Opera House with Luke Dollman conducting (Robert was principal horn). Why this commission came through so quickly and smoothly while the horn commission slowly faded away I have no idea.

With limited opportunities for Australian composers I knew it would be some time before the orchestra would commission me again. In August 2005 Rob and I were once again discussing the concerto and approaching the orchestra.  At his suggestion, in August 2006, I sent an email pitching the concerto to conductor, Richard Gill. Richard is the artistic director of the Sydney Symphony’s education program. He expressed interest but, once again a slot would have to be found and the commission fee raised. After six years we were now back in our 1998 position but with the distinct advantage of a committed and dedicated conductor.

There were a couple of meetings with the orchestral administration, the details of which should probably stay confidential. But the upshot was that no commissions were going out at that time and that the horn concerto was not very likely to happen in near future. It was now well into 2007.

Call me crazy but I am an election night addict! I love to sit in front of ABC television with the website’s list of electorates and candidates on the table and watch every update from every booth come in. The federal election of 24 November 2007 was particularly exciting because finally after twelve long years Australia had a chance of gaining a new humanitarian government.

My wife and I were invited to an election party that night but, not wanting to be distracted, I determinedly refused to move until the result was known. Once it was clear there would be a Rudd government we headed off to the party. On arrival we found everyone glued to the ABC in excited anticipation of the concession and victory speeches.

Late in the evening I got to chatting with Robert Gay, who is well known for his knowledgeable and entertaining lectures on music and for hosting musical tours in Europe. I was telling him of the difficulties of getting a commission. On enquiring what sort of figure that might be he was surprised that it wasn’t exorbitant; that it only involved the composer’s fee and costs; that the cost of rehearsal and performance was borne by the orchestra in the course of their usual activities. It was a chance meeting that changed the concerto’s fortunes.

The following day Robert Gay phoned me and said he would like to commission the concerto; that he would approach a few people and suggest forming a collective to raise the fee. This is precisely what he did over the next couple of weeks. At the time of writing this I am not sure if the other commissioners want to remain anonymous so I will refer to the collective as Robert Gay and Friends. Robert Gay’s enthusiasm for music and the collective’s generosity have made the concerto possible and I am most grateful to them.

Sometimes the classical music world feels a little like Gormenghast where tradition is so entrenched that it takes a decade to have a spontaneous thought. It is not surprising that classical music battles for relevancy in our world. [29 June 2009: It has been pointed out to me that this could be read as an attack on the Sydney Symphony which was not my intention at all (it is apparent from the earlier part of this blog that I have had a terrific relationship with the orchestra for a decade now). Rather, I often feel that the orchestral culture around the world that predominantly performs music composed 100-300 years ago, and still in some quarters refers to Schoenberg (1874-1951) as a modern composer, is prone to taking an Entish view of time. The concept of engaging with audiences through current music in the here-and-now has been steadily resurrecting itself but there is still along way to go. Of course that is an entire subject in itself and much discussed by others. Here's an introduction to the topic from John Corigliano]

Robert Gay called the Sydney Symphony in early December to offer the commission but it wasn’t until 2 April 2008 that a meeting was called for all relevant parties. And it was at that meeting that the commission was formally made. We discovered that the orchestra had already slotted the performance in for 9, 10 & 11 September 2009 at the Sydney Opera House, almost twelve years since the idea of a concerto for Robert Johnson occurred to me during the Moby Dick recording sessions.