Saturday 6 October (4pm) 2007

the pete mccracken ensemble formed in 2007 as a performing vehicle for the compositions of composer pete mccracken.

currently the group comprises daniel el hay playing double bass, bronwyn henderson playing violin and pete mccracken playing guitar.

all three performers have years of performing experience in a range of different musical groups from experimental music, to jazz and rock’n’roll. as instrumentalists they bring a sophisticated and passionate knowledge of music to mccracken’s haunting, melodic and beautiful contemporary pieces.

to date they have been presenting mccracken’s 2006 work ‘upon the death of a friend’. the work was originally written for violin and piano but is currently performed by the ensemble with daniel and pete playing the left and right hand of the piano part.

‘upon the death of a friend’ is comprised of nine different sections , the whole piece taking forty minutes to perform. the ensemble have so far played it in its entirety once, in two sittings.

written by mccracken after studying in new york city in 2006, the work moves from tangible loss and sorrow through hope, yearning, acceptance and even exultation. apparent in the work is the composers thorough humanism and his inventive and unusual musical style, which is connected to what has been called post-minimalism.